


Sakura Castle

by TheEigthPillarGeneral



Category: Bleach
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, Angst, Class Differences, Demons, Explicit Sexual Content, Horror, M/M, Power Dynamics, Romance, Samurai, Sengoku Period Japan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-01
Updated: 2020-12-11
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:40:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 56,524
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26749651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheEigthPillarGeneral/pseuds/TheEigthPillarGeneral
Summary: Amidst a wave of strange killings in his village, Abarai Renji, a young ronin, catches the interest of the formidable yet mysterious daimyo Kuchiki Byakuya, the twenty-first head of the Kuchiki Clan. When he is summoned to become his retainer for an upcoming campaign, Renji is quick to accept the offer.But as it turns out, there is more to Lord Kuchiki Byakuya than what meets the eye. What will Renji do when he discovers the dark secret of the entire Kuchiki Clan?
Relationships: Abarai Renji/Kuchiki Byakuya
Comments: 78
Kudos: 34





	1. Midsummer Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A mysterious wave of gruesome killings has struck the village of Kizokugai. At the same time, Abarai Renji finds himself summoned to the castle of the local daimyo, whose interest he has attracted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've gotten writer's block for "Frozen Flower", and with this idea in my head, I knew I had to get this written.
> 
> This was inspired by two fanfics: Grizmelder's "Heart Tangled", and an IchiHime fanfic called "Moon Over the Tower" by Crystal Dawn. Both of those stories are set sometime in the 19th century. However, I chose to move the setting of my story back to the Sengoku period in the 16th century, and as I wrote up the first chapter, I realized how it's kind of like a gothic romance. 
> 
> That being said, I hope you all enjoy!

_Amagi Mountain Range, Izu Province, c. July 1537_

The wind whistles through the trees, making the leaves rustle together as they tower over the rough forest trail. Covered in rocks and tree roots, the trail is especially precarious during the nights. And even on a summer night like this one, when the weather is stuffy and humid, the darkness of the forest only makes a journey through the woods a living nightmare for any unprepared traveller.

One such soul had entered the forest, intending to be quick in her work, only to lose track of the time until the sun had gone well past the horizon. Now, with no lantern to guide her out of the thick forest, she runs blindly down the trail, shivering in her thin kimono not because of the wind, but because of the creature that is pursuing her.

Her breathing is quick and shallow as she practically sprints through the forest, her eyes frantically darting from side to side. Only her sight can save her, as she cannot even fully hear her pursuer.

The only sounds of pursuit she can hear are the snapping of fallen branches upon the ground.

Even as her breathing gets more frantic, her instincts tell her not to stop, no matter how lost she gets. For if she stops, she won’t even live to see the light of tomorrow.

There’s no doubting what this creature is. It’s the one that is mentioned in the tales of the village elders, the one that has been hunting down wayward villagers for months now. It has even gotten to the point where it’s strictly forbidden to venture into the forest after dark, unless it’s an absolute emergency.

Yet not even that has deterred the creature in its hunting patterns.

The young woman looks around frantically, trying to catch even a peek at her pursuer, only to realize that she’s nowhere near the entrance of the forest. If anything, she’s even deeper in the forest now.

Is she even going the right way? Just where is she?

Suddenly, a shadow appears before her eyes, blocking the pathway and forcing her to stop in her tracks.

A gasp spills from her lips, her eyes widening in horror at the glowing red eyes that stare at her. Against the starry night sky, she can make out a vague outline of something that resembles horns upon the creature’s head, and the creature itself seems to radiate sheer power.

_No… Oh, no…_

The woman swallows anxiously, a cold sweat washing over her as she stumbles backwards, tripping on a tree root. Despite the terror that fills her very being, she cannot take her eyes off the creature that prowls towards her, still concealed by the shadows except for its glowing red eyes.

Then, before she can even blink, the creature is upon her, pinning her to the ground.

“Got you at last,” a sly voice declares triumphantly.

A scream tears from her throat, only to be swiftly silenced forever.

* * *

The howl of a wolf echoes from the thick forest, sending a chill down Abarai Renji’s spine despite the stifling midsummer heat that permeates the air. He tightens his grip upon Zabimaru, his katana, and wipes the sweat away from his forehead with his other hand. 

_Damn this heat…_ He curses to himself, looking up at the starry night sky as he patrols the village borders.

Even with his long crimson hair up in a ponytail, even when he’s dressed in a short and sleeveless kosode, the heat is absolutely unbearable. But the nightly breeze that caresses against his exposed tattooed arms feels more chilling than comforting.

And considering the recent rash of killings, it’s not hard to see why.

But such mysterious killings are nothing new for the tiny village of Kizokugai. Located deep in the Amagi Mountains, the village hardly sees many travellers or outsiders, apart from a few travelling merchants brave enough to cross the rough mountain pathway near the settlement. And yet in spite of the lack of travellers, there is always a wave of mysterious, gruesome killings that occurs out of the blue every couple years.

And this most recent wave is even worse than ever.

In fact, it’s the main reason why Renji has returned to Kizokugai as a ronin, not too long after his previous lord had been killed in battle.

At only twenty years of age, Renji has already served beneath three daimyo in all of Izu Province, and all of them have been killed in the many battles that are taking place across the country, the third one being killed three months ago. While he could’ve easily found another daimyo to serve beneath, or even become a daimyo himself, Renji had opted to return to Kizokugai to try and defend it from the phantom killer.

However, in the three months he’s been home, the killings haven’t slowed down. Renji has worked with the elders in establishing curfews, patrolled the gates with the other men, and yet none of those measures seem to be working.

 _Just what is lurking out there?_ He wonders, glancing at the dark forest, trying to sense the phantom killer. _Will you be coming back again tonight?_

His thoughts are interrupted by the sound of footsteps behind him, followed by a gentle voice.

“Renji.”

Renji turns to see none other than the village miko, Unohana Retsu, standing at the entrance.

Unohana is still dressed in her pure-white kosode and vermillion-red hakama, and her long black hair is tied in a low ponytail with a white ribbon. Her eyes are gentle as she regards Renji with a kind smile, one that has Renji softening a tad as he returns the smile.

“Unohana-san,” he says. “It’s late. Shouldn’t you be asleep?”

“I came to see how you were,” she tells him. “The night watch is ready for their turn now. Come, you need to get some rest.”

Renji pauses reluctantly, not wanting to just abandon his post, but he knows he can never disobey her. With a nod, he follows her back to the minka house where they live together.

For as long as he can remember, Unohana has been something of a mother to him. Renji had lost his parents quite early in another mysterious killing spree many years ago, and Unohana had lost her own husband and her young son around that same time. The fact that her son had been the same age as Renji back then was probably one of the reasons why she’d taken him under her wing.

When Renji follows Unohana into their house, he notices that the irori in the middle of the room has already been lit up, and a pot rests above the embers. Whatever is in the pot smells pretty good.

“What did you make?” Renji asks, sitting before the irori and removing the string around his ponytail, letting his long crimson tresses spill freely.

“Millet with some chopped radish roots,” Unohana says, kneeling down and opening up the pot before serving some food for herself and Renji into two bowls.

She passes a bowl and some chopsticks to Renji. “Here you go.”

Renji nods. “Itadakimasu,” he says quietly.

The meal is simple, but it’s both filling and delicious. Though in all honesty, such a meal is even better when eaten during the winter months.

“How was your day today?” Renji asks.

Unohana swallows her mouthful of millet and roots before answering, her eyes more solemn than usual.

“I went into the forest today to collect some medicinal herbs,” she says. “When I was there, I sensed a strange presence in the area of the latest death.”

Renji raises an eyebrow, his interest piqued. “Is that so?”

“It is.”

That is yet another thing that he and Unohana have in common with one another: an incredibly keen spiritual awareness that enables them to sense otherworldly phenomena that most people cannot detect. This kind of ability has helped Unohana greatly in her duties as a miko, especially in the rituals she must perform.

To be honest, however, Renji isn’t sure whether such an ability can be considered a gift or a curse for him. It hasn’t helped him in training or battle, and it certainly hasn’t helped him in driving off the phantom killer.

“What was the presence like?” Renji asks.

Unohana looks up, and her expression is grim.

“I’d never felt anything like it,” she says softly. “Whatever was there… it was evil. Pure, unadulterated evil.”

Something about that makes Renji tense up a little as he listens to her.

“I don’t know how else to describe it,” Unohana continues, gazing at the embers. “I’ve sensed bad spiritual presences before, but none of them have felt this dark or malevolent.”

Renji nods slowly, his heart sinking. That certainly doesn’t sound very promising.

His speculations are interrupted by a sharp knock at the door, making him straighten upright as he glances towards it.

“Who could that be?” Unohana asks, setting her bowl down.

Renji also sets down his bowl and stands up. “We don’t normally get visitors at this time of night,” he says, feeling unusually apprehensive. “Who could have business at this hour?”

Could it be one of the elders wanting to speak with Unohana?

The knock comes again, prompting Renji to hurry towards the door. “Coming!” he calls, sliding the door open.

Suddenly, he staggers back slightly, cold washing over him at the sight of the visitor.

A lean-built young man who appears a couple years older stands on the other side of the threshold, dressed in a black kimono and hakama. He has short black hair and three scars over his right eye that lead down his cheek. A strange kind of aura seems to radiate from the man, and something about it makes the back of Renji’s neck prickle slightly.

It’s obvious this man is a samurai, if the crest upon his uniform and the katana at his side are anything to go by. Outside, Renji can see a horse waiting for the man, and he frowns slightly.

“Are you lost?” he asks.

Now it’s the man’s turn to frown.

“No, not at all,” he says. “May I come in?”

Blinking, Renji nods and steps aside. “O-Of course!” he says.

The man enters the house, looking around and giving a nod of greeting to Unohana, who regards him warily. Before she can think to offer him tea, the man starts speaking.

“My name is Hisagi Shuuhei,” he introduces himself. “I was sent to find a man of a specific description. I was told that he could be found here, and it seems that I wasn’t misled.” He regards Renji as he says that.

Renji’s eyes widen a little, only to narrow just as quickly.

“Who sent you here?” he asks.

“My master, of course,” Hisagi says. “I am a servant and guard of Lord Kuchiki, the twenty-first head of the Kuchiki Clan, and daimyo of the Izu Province.”

Now, Renji freezes in shock.

“But… why?”

“I cannot explain why,” Hisagi tells him, folding his arms across his chest. “All that matters is that Kuchiki-dono has requested your presence at the Senbonzakura Castle immediately.”

Again, Renji can’t believe what he’s hearing.

No one has dared to venture up to the castle upon the peak that overlooks Kizokugai. Hell, no one seems to go in or come out from the castle complex either. 

And as for the daimyo, no one in recent memory has even seen him. Some of the elders claim to have seen him in their own younger days, but it has been many years since then. According to them, he had been young and handsome, with a gentle appearance and personality. Renji figures the daimyo must be very, very old now.

In fact, if it weren’t for the few lights sometimes seen from the castle windows from time to time, everyone would’ve assumed that the castle was completely empty and abandoned.

“Excuse me, Hisagi-san.” Unohana’s voice rings firm in the small house, and she regards Hisagi sternly. “I think it’s rather suspicious that you suddenly announce your lord’s need for Abarai-kun here, without even mentioning _why_ he wants him.”

Hisagi seems to falter slightly beneath Unohana’s stern gaze, but he quickly composes himself again.

“Please do not worry,” he tells her. “I can promise that it won’t be for too long. He will also be compensated with enough payment to feed yourselves and even the entire village for a lifetime.”

That’s all Renji needed to hear. After all, since becoming a ronin, it has been difficult for him to earn enough to feed himself and Unohana, and not even the small jobs he’d done for various villagers had been enough.

“I’ll come,” he says.

Hisagi nods approvingly, but Unohana regards him in concern.

“Are you sure, Renji?” she asks. “What if you get called for another campaign?”

Renji nods with a reassuring smile. “I’ll be fine, Unohana-san,” he says. “And you know me. I won’t let anything happen to myself.”

Unohana seems to acquiesce at that, albeit still looking doubtful.

“Very well then,” she relents. “I hope you take care of yourself.”

Once they’ve said their goodbyes, Renji gathers the few belongings he has, mainly his katana and his gottan, when he remembers something else.

“What should I do for clothing?” he asks.

“Kuchiki-dono will see that you are provided with the appropriate clothes and armour,” Hisagi tells him.

Well, that makes sense.

“Alright,” Renji says. “I’ll go and get my horse. The stables aren’t too far off from here.”

With that, he heads down to the communal stables and saddles up his horse before leading him out to where Hisagi is waiting for him. However, when they draw near, the horse starts whinnying in distress, forcing Renji to calm him down enough so he can mount him.

And even then, the horse still acts very jittery as Hisagi approaches them on horseback.

“Let’s go,” he says, turning his horse around.

With one last smile and wave at Unohana, Renji snaps his horse’s reins and follows Hisagi towards the Senbonzakura Castle.

* * *

The ride to the castle is uneventful for the most part, except for the uneasiness that hangs over Renji during the journey through the dark forest.

He’s no stranger to riding through forests, but something about the forest near the village really stirs a primal kind of fear within him. He knows there are dangerous creatures that come out at night; the other villagers have told all kinds of stories about what lurks in the woods to make sure he doesn’t venture out after dark.

Renji knows he looks dangerous, but he’s only dangerous to human enemies. An animal wouldn’t care about what he looks like, and he’d be foolish to think he can somehow take on a wild beast that might try and cross his path.

He’s not sure whether it’s his imagination or not, but for a moment, he swears he sees movement in the bushes along the trail.

 _Must’ve been the wind._ He thinks for a brief moment, only for that thought to disappear the moment he sees a pair of glowing red eyes that stare at him.

Yet as soon as he’d seen them, they vanish, making him wonder if he’d even seen them for real.

Could that have been an okuri-inu, like in the folktales that the elders had told him a long time ago? Or had he just been hallucinating?

Renji shakes his head. _What are you thinking?! You’re a grown man, not a child!_

Eventually, after what feels like forever, they finally reach the white walls of the Senbonzakura Castle, and Renji looks up at the castle itself in amazement. With curved gable roofs, pure white exteriors that shine like silver beneath the moonlight, especially the main keep that rests atop steep stone walls, it’s truly a stunning sight to behold.

Not even the castles of the previous three daimyo he’s served have looked this impressive. Looking at the castle right now, it’s like he’s entering the domain of some heavenly being.

As their horses enter the castle complex, Renji looks around, taking note of how advanced the defense systems are. But what really gets his attention are the numerous sakura trees in the bailey, as well as the many gardens, moon-viewing towers, and even a few balconies on some of the towers.

He feels very much out-of-place in his short and ragged kosode, looking like some country peasant instead of the samurai he is.

They stop in front of the main doors of the main keep, dismounting from their horses, and another guard comes over to take the horses to the stables. Renji notices how quickly his horse becomes agitated, neighing frantically and rearing up, resulting in more guardsmen coming to calm down the frightened steed.

 _What the hell? What’s wrong with him?_ Renji wonders, bewildered.

Hisagi glances at him as they approach the entrance of the main keep. “Do not worry about your horse,” he says. “It’s probably just spooked from the journey here.”

Renji raises an eyebrow, but remains silent.

For a castle that looks so silvery and divine in the moonlight, it’s unusually dark inside, only sparsely lit from the moonlight that filters in through the windows. Renji can make out cream-coloured walls and floors made of dark wood, and he can’t help but wonder why it’s so dark.

“Make sure you do not touch your katana in the company of our lord,” Hisagi instructs him as he leads him to the shoin hall.

Renji nods silently, and that’s when he realizes something. Just who exactly is the daimyo of the Kuchiki Clan right now?

“What is the name of your lord?” he asks.

Hisagi glances at him in mild surprise. “His name is Kuchiki Byakuya,” he says.

_Kuchiki Byakuya… a noble name, indeed._

At last, they reach a pair of shoji screen doors, and Renji can only assume that on the other side is the shoin hall. He can also sense a strange kind of energy that seems to emanate from behind the doors, and he swallows slightly, trying not to show how much it intimidates him.

What will Lord Kuchiki think of him, dressed like some country peasant and not like a samurai? Would he send him off for how he looks? Or would he humiliate him and make a laughingstock out of him to his fellow nobles?

Hisagi kneels down on the floor and knocks on the doorframe. “Excuse me, my lord,” he says, sliding the door open. “I have brought the red-haired ronin, as you have requested.”

Renji steps into the shoin hall, his eyes cast downwards, only to suddenly be overwhelmed by a powerful wave of some mysterious phantom pressure that seems to crush down upon him. It’s so strong, and for a moment, he can’t even breathe.

He quickly kneels upon the floor and bows, his head pressing against the tatami, hoping that Lord Kuchiki won’t hear his heart pounding or see the cold sweat that has washed over him.

“Abarai Renji,” addresses a rich and silky baritone voice.

“Yes, Kuchiki-sama,” Renji greets, keeping his head bowed.

A pause lingers in the air before the voice speaks again.

“You may rise.”

Tentatively, Renji slowly rises into seiza, his heart skipping a beat at the sight before him.

Only vaguely does he notice the fusuma panels decorated with peacocks and a forest landscape, the ornate ceilings, and the flickering lanterns. No, his attention is upon the absurdly youthful-looking daimyo resting upon the dais before him.

The man before him… he’s divinely stunning. His pale skin seems to almost glow beneath the moonlight, making his deep-blue robes stand out. His hair, a deep inky-black, is gathered up in a high ponytail, and a single strand brushes his face and frames his cool gray eyes.

Every bit of this man is aristocratic, the purest of nobility. Without a doubt, this is Kuchiki Byakuya.

And yet, at the same time, something about him seems almost… unearthly. 

Renji doesn’t know what it is, but as enchanted as he is by Lord Kuchiki’s beauty, he can also feel his skin prickling slightly beneath his gaze.

Kuchiki-sama appraises him, his eyes still cold and unreadable, and Renji tries not to flinch beneath his gaze.

At last, he speaks.

“It seems that the rumours are true,” Kuchiki-sama observes, that rich baritone voice sending an unusually pleasant thrill down Renji’s spine. “You really look as fierce as they’d said.”

Renji remains silent, unsure of what to make of this.

“During my last campaign in Sagami, I’d heard stories of your prowess in battle, and your staunch loyalty to your former lords,” Kuchiki-sama continues. “They called you many names: ‘the red-haired ronin’, ‘the tattooed beast’, ‘the okami of Izu’... it seems you have earned yourself quite the reputation, Abarai Renji.”

Swallowing, Renji nods slowly. “It is my duty to be loyal to who I serve, Kuchiki-sama,” he says. “I thank you for the invitation here.”

Kuchiki-sama responds with a slight nod. “You must be wondering why I summoned you here,” he says.

Renji nods again.

Then, with an imperious gaze, Kuchiki-sama answers.

“In a few months’ time, I shall be going to war against the Ginjo Clan,” he tells him. “And for that, I need a personal retainer and warrior to join me in the campaign.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: Izu Province is a historical province, now known today as the Shizuoka Prefecture. 
> 
> And with that, the first chapter has finished. I'm looking forward to seeing how this story will play out, and I hope you are too!
> 
> Please let me know how I did, and have a good one!


	2. Ghosts of the Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Renji begins his training with Hisagi Shuuhei, all while learning a bit more about the Kuchiki Clan. Meanwhile, Byakuya tries to keep himself away, only for Shuuhei to call him out on running away from his problems.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's Chapter 2! This one gave me a bit of trouble, but I've managed to get it written at last!
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

Renji sits up in his futon, staring up at the thin stream of moonlight that filters in through the small windows of the personal guard barracks. Even though he’d bathed earlier and changed into a plain white kosode before bed, he’s still having trouble sleeping.

It doesn’t help that he hasn’t been in castle barracks for three months until now.

However, there’s another issue on his mind right now: namely, the upcoming campaign against the Ginjo Clan. Why would Kuchiki-dono want him as a personal warrior for the campaign?

The explanation he’d been given had been brief. Simply put, Renji had been told that Kuchiki-dono wanted a warrior who had raw power and skill in fighting, and not just someone of a high rank. And because of the rumours of Renji’s reputation as a merciless and skilled warrior who had clawed his way up from poverty, he’d been his first choice. 

Even so, surely there are other highly-skilled samurai who would be better for such a duty, right?

Yet he doesn’t dare question Kuchiki-dono’s decision. If this is what the daimyo has decided upon, then Renji will obey his order. And he’s certainly not going to question someone who seems to radiate so much authority and power.

And speaking of Kuchiki-dono… he is far from what Renji had expected.

For one, he’d expected an old but strong and hardened warrior, much like his last lord, the late Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni. But Kuchiki-dono is such a sharp contrast. He’s absurdly youthful, and incredibly beautiful and ethereal, though there’s no doubting that he’s older than Renji himself.

Yet how much older is he, anyways? And why is it that he makes Renji’s heart beat a little faster?

Shaking his head, Renji lies back down upon the futon, thinking about the Senbonzakura Castle now.

Shortly before he’d been dismissed, Kuchiki-dono had laid out some clear rules he’s expected to follow. He’s not allowed to go to certain parts of the castle, and Kuchiki-dono had personally forbidden him from coming to his private residence. But the most important rule is that he is not to go into the forest after dark.

Renji frowns. It’s not like he needs to be reminded of such a rule; the same one had been enforced by the elders in the village, after all.

But does this mean that Kuchiki-dono is aware of the killings that are taking place near the village?

Well, in any case, he’s going to begin his training for the campaign tomorrow, making him glad that he’d brought his bokken along with him. If he wants to wake up on time and give a good impression for Kuchiki-dono, he should be getting some sleep now.

With that thought in mind, Renji pulls the covers over himself and turns over onto his side, closing his eyes in the hopes that sleep will come soon.

* * *

“What do you think of him, Kuchiki-dono?”

Byakuya is heading to the doors of the shoin to return to his chambers for the night when Hisagi asks him that question, making him pause in his tracks.

Keeping his eyes on the shoji doors, he answers the question. “He looks worthy of being my personal warrior,” he says truthfully. “But it would be futile if his fighting skills were not as good as the rumours have said.”

In all honesty, he hadn’t expected Abarai Renji to really look as fierce as he does in actuality. With his long red hair, those black tattoos, and a powerful and muscular body, he very much looks like a wild and fierce samurai who shows no mercy in battle.

“I wasn’t talking about that,” Hisagi says.

This makes Byakuya turn to look at him, raising an eyebrow slightly.

Both he and Hisagi have known each other for years now. Even though the latter comes from a peasant family from the Izu coastline, he’d been trained to serve the Kuchiki Clan after Kuchiki Soujun, Byakuya’s father, had sensed his potential.

So of course he’d know just how to read Byakuya’s moods, no matter how much he tries to distance himself.

“Then what are you talking about?” Byakuya asks at last.

Hisagi folds his arms across his chest. “I’m talking about that inherent ability of his,” he says. “Abarai Renji has a keen spiritual awareness. You were able to detect it, weren’t you?”

But of course that’s what Hisagi had been talking about. It’s not like Byakuya hadn’t sensed that ability of his; though in all honesty, he’d thought such an ability would be found in a miko or kannushi, rather than a samurai.

Byakuya nods slowly. “It’s much stronger than I’d expected,” he says.

That’s when he notices a trace of Abarai’s scent near the shoji doors, and he can’t help but inhale it.

“He smells good,” Byakuya observes.

Something about his scent… it’s strangely tempting. Byakuya doesn’t know how to describe it, but Abarai has a sharp and woodsy scent that oddly enough, also smells rather sweet as well.

In any case, Byakuya hasn’t encountered a human with such a unique scent in a very long time.

“He does,” Hisagi agrees, but then his eyes become more stern. “But you need to watch yourself, milord. We both know what happens when you indulge in a human’s scent too much, especially when you get hungry, and I’d like to avoid what happened with both Hisana-sama and Hinamori-san.”

Byakuya tenses up as he regards Hisagi sharply. A sudden pain strikes his heart, and he swallows tightly as he turns away.

“I know, Hisagi,” he says quietly, his voice wavering just a tad. “It won’t happen again, I swear.”

What had happened to Hisana had been a horrific disaster, and without a doubt, it had contributed to her early death. It had truly been an unpleasant time for the Kuchiki Clan, especially for Byakuya himself, and the fact that it had resulted in three innocent parties getting hurt is absolutely unforgivable. And he’ll be damned if he lets it happen again.

 _I would sooner fall on my sword than let anyone else get hurt._ He promises to himself.

With that, he slides the shoji doors open and heads towards his bedroom for the night, all while trying to banish the memory of Hisana’s gentle smile from his mind.

* * *

The sun is slowly beginning to rise when Renji wakes up the next morning. Fortunately, the weather feels pleasantly cooler, but he knows it’s not going to last long. That stifling heat will be back soon enough.

Renji changes into the white keikogi and deep-blue hakama that had been given to him the night before, then combs his hair out before tying it up into its usual high ponytail. Once he’s put on his tabi and waraji, he grabs his bokken and heads down to take breakfast in the mess hall.

Breakfast is a simple meal of rice and sashimi, and Renji makes sure not to take too much time in eating, though he comes to notice that he’s the only one in the mess hall, strangely enough. Eventually, once he’s finished, he leaves the mess hall and begins heading down to the courtyard for training.

 _Where do the samurai train here?_ Renji wonders to himself, speeding up a bit. _Hopefully I don’t get lost here-_

His thoughts are interrupted when he accidentally collides into someone, a grunt slipping past his lips as a squeak escapes from the other person.

“Whoa!” Renji glances down in surprise, only to see a short young woman dressed in a plain brown kimono bowing down towards him.

“Please forgive me!” the woman apologizes, her ears burning red. “I wasn’t looking where I was going and I accidentally ran into you! I should’ve been more careful and paying attention to my surroundings!”

Renji holds his hands up, a little flustered at her apology. “It’s alright,” he reassures her awkwardly. “Don’t worry. I should’ve been paying attention as well. There’s no need to grovel, I’m sorry for running into you as well.”

The woman straightens up to reveal kind brown eyes and a surprised look on her face, and that’s when Renji notices how her hair is tied up in a bun that’s covered with a little cloth. However, that becomes the least of his concerns when he senses a rather weak pressure around her as well.

For a moment, the young woman regards him curiously before her eyes light up in recognition. “Oh, you must be the red-haired ronin!” she greets with a smile. “It’s a pleasure to meet you at last!”

Renji nods, a smile briefly tugging the corners of his lips. “Yes, that’s me,” he says. “My name’s Abarai Renji. What’s your name?”

“H-Hinamori Momo,” the woman says, still looking flustered. “I’m the personal servant for Kuchiki-dono’s sister.”

“Who are you talking to, Hinamori?”

Hinamori slowly turns around. Approaching her and Renji is none other than Hisagi, dressed in his own keikogi and hakama and carrying his bokken.

Quickly, Hinamori bows to him in greeting. “I was just saying hello to our new guest here, Hisagi-san,” she says.

“That’s fine,” Hisagi tells her. “But you should return to your duties.”

Renji is quick to bow in greeting. “Good morning, Hisagi-san,” he says formally, straightening himself up again.

“Good morning, Abarai,” Hisagi says. “Follow me to the courtyard. I’d like to train with you.”

“Of course!”

After giving Hinamori another smile, Renji follows Hisagi outside, where the summer heat washes over him almost immediately. Once again, it’s humid and warm, and Renji just wipes his forehead as he steps onto the courtyard.

“Before we start, let me tell you something,” Hisagi begins, turning to face him. “Kuchiki-dono has high standards for the skills of his personal warriors, so I’d like to see just how good your swordsmanship skills are, and whether they are worthy of his standards.” His eyes hold a strange glint to them as he brandishes his bokken. “I hope you’re ready to take me on, Abarai.”

Renji can’t help the grin that tugs at his lips as he holds out his own bokken with a flourish. “Of course I am,” he says. “I’ve been practicing everyday on my own back in the village, so I’ll never let myself lose!”

“Good attitude! That’s exactly what I like to hear!”

They swiftly charge at each other, their wooden blades clashing as they begin to spar.

Hisagi proves himself to be quite a lethal fighter. It’s pretty impressive how powerful he is with only a bokken, and yet there’s a slight playfulness in his strikes to reassure him that this is only training.

In fact, Renji can’t help but enjoy sparring against him. Hisagi has a big brotherly kind of air to him, and he has a feeling that he might be learning a lot from him in the near future.

“Don’t tell me you’re holding yourself back. Hisagi-san,” he teases as a way of testing the waters.

Hisagi raises an eyebrow. “Why shouldn’t I?” he points out. “We’re just training. It’s not actually a serious fight.”

He does have a good point, Renji concedes.

Eventually, some more time passes, and the heat starts to get to him. Sweat slides down Renji’s temples as he slips out of his keikogi and lets it hang at his sides, sighing in relief as his upper torso is exposed to the summer breeze.

 _Much better…_ Renji thinks in relief.

Before he can get back into his stance, he notices Hisagi eyeing his muscles and tattoos appreciatively as he slips off his own keikogi, exposing an equally well-built upper torso.

“That’s some nice ink you’ve got, Abarai,” Hisagi praises. “They go well with your hair.”

“Why, thanks,” Renji says genuinely. “And you look pretty healthy yourself.”

Hisagi chuckles. “You know how to flatter a man, don’t you?” He rubs the back of his neck. “So, what’s the story behind your tattoos?”

Renji shrugs, wiping the sweat away from his forehead. “I got them for every major accomplishment of mine, starting right from when I began serving my first daimyo.”

“So you’ll be getting more to commemorate serving Kuchiki-dono?”

“Maybe I will.”

This time, Renji glances at the scars on Hisagi’s face, wondering how he could’ve gotten them. They definitely don’t look like they could’ve been caused by an ordinary animal.

“I hope you don’t mind me asking, but what happened to your eye?” Renji asks.

Hisagi pauses, then looks down as he gingerly touches the scars on his cheek. His eyes look a bit troubled, and Renji winces, wondering if he’d offended him.

“An animal attack,” Hisagi says at last, looking up again. “I got them while defending Kuchiki-dono’s younger sister.”

Right. This is the second time Renji has been told that Kuchiki-dono has a younger sister.

“That servant girl, Hinamori-san, she said she’s the personal servant for Kuchiki-dono’s sister,” Renji recalls.

“Yes, that’s right,” Hisagi confirms. “Her name is Kuchiki Rukia, but you’d be foolish to underestimate her.”

Renji raises an eyebrow. “How so?”

Another chuckle escapes from Hisagi’s lips. “Well, she’s fiercely loyal to her dear Nii-sama,” he says. “And even though she’s not a warrior, she can be quite stern and spirited. If anything, I’d say her sharp tongue can be a greater weapon than a blade.”

Huh. Now that he thinks about it, this Kuchiki Rukia sounds almost like Unohana.

And speaking of Unohana, Renji finds himself wondering just how she’s doing right now. While she’s more than capable of taking care of herself, she’s a healer, first and foremost.

 _I hope she’s not missing me too much…_ Renji thinks to himself as he gets into a fighting stance again.

* * *

Training continues beneath the midsummer sun, and Shuuhei makes sure to observe Abarai’s style of fighting as they both work up a sweat in their sparring.

Abarai has very good technique and form, and his fighting abilities are rough yet strangely refined at the same time. Even though he’s only wielding a bokken, he’s as fierce as a wild animal.

 _If he’s like this with a bokken… I wonder what he’s like with an actual katana in battle?_ Shuuhei thinks to himself as he blocks a strike.

Oh, he would probably be a beast on the battlefield. Without a doubt, Abarai Renji is quite a strong human. 

“Looks like Kuchiki-dono is right,” Shuuhei praises as he pushes Abarai back. “Your reputation has been well-earned.”

“Is that so?” Abarai asks, pleasantly surprised. “Well, you’re not so bad yourself.”

As the sparring continues, Shuuhei finds himself coming to enjoy training with Abarai. He’s got a passionate spirit that almost reminds Shuuhei of Kuchiki-dono himself during his childhood days, though unlike the daimyo, Abarai hasn’t grown out of it. Furthermore, something about Abarai seems to awaken a kind of big brother instinct within him.

Is it that wolfish grin? His eagerness to learn and get stronger? The strangely unique scent that hangs around him? Or is it the strange kind of earnest skill he puts into his training right now?

Whatever it is, Shuuhei can’t wait to get to know him a bit more in the future. And he definitely can’t wait to help Abarai become a warrior worthy of serving Kuchiki-dono in battle.

Eventually, the sparring comes to an end, and Abarai quickly bows to him in gratitude, taking Shuuhei by surprise.

“Thank you for the training, Hisagi-san!” he says earnestly, standing upright again. “I look forward to training with you again!”

Shuuhei blinks in surprise. However, a fond smile quickly crosses his face as he nods. “You’re welcome,” he says. “I also look forward to it.”

They both make their way to the water barrel to cool themselves off, splashing water onto their faces and the backs of their necks to cool off. Hisagi then sits down on the engawa porch in the shade of the eaves, watching as Abarai frees his hair before re-tying it in a high ponytail.

“Which province do you come from, Hisagi-san?” Abarai asks, glancing at him.

“I’m a native of Izu Province,” Shuuhei says. “Though I come from the coastal part.”

Abarai’s eyes brighten a little. “So am I,” he says. “But I’m from the Amagi Mountains, as you already know.”

“Yeah, I suppose so,” Shuuhei agrees.

“How long have you served the Kuchiki Clan?” Abarai takes a seat next to him.

“I’ve served them since I was a child,” Shuuhei tells him, staring off at the mountain range in the distance.

He can feel Abarai regarding him in surprise. “Since your childhood?” he repeats, amazed.

“Yep,” Shuuhei confirms. “Kuchiki-dono’s father was the one who saw my potential, so he took me in and had me trained to serve his son since then.” He glances at Abarai. “Which daimyo did you serve, Abarai?”

Abarai stares up at the underside of the eaves. “I’ve served three daimyo in Izu,” he says. “Their names were Komamura Sajin, Hitsugaya Toshiro, and Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni.”

 _Komamura, Hitsugaya, and Yamamoto?_ Shuuhei thinks in amazement.

Those three had been some of the most powerful daimyo in Izu Province. For Abarai to serve beneath them… it definitely says a lot about his strength.

 _You really are quite strong for a human, Abarai Renji…_ He muses.

“Come to think of it, where is Kuchiki-dono?” Abarai asks, getting up from the porch. “Is he planning on training with his men any time soon?”

Shuuhei blinks. _Dammit…_

“Well, you see…” He rubs the back of his neck, laughing sheepishly. “Kuchiki-dono prefers to train alone. That’s how he’s always been.”

Abarai just raises an eyebrow. “But if I’m going to become his personal warrior, shouldn’t I be learning how he fights so I can come to battle alongside him?” he points out.

 _Damn it all, he has a point._ Shuuhei thinks with a sigh.

“That is true,” he says. “I’ll speak with Kuchiki-dono about it.”

He’s not sure what Kuchiki-dono has planned for today, but Shuuhei has to convince him to train with Abarai at some point. Considering his keen spiritual awareness, it won’t be long before he starts to realize that something is not right, and Kuchiki-dono can’t keep on avoiding him either.

With that, Shuuhei slips his keikogi back on and gets up, resolved to speak with Kuchiki-dono now.

* * *

After showing Abarai the way back to the barracks, Shuuhei heads to the private training grounds near the east residence, where Kuchiki-dono is doing his own training.

Judging from the damage upon some of the walls and floors, it had been quite a vigorous training as well. Kuchiki-dono himself stands in the center, the sleeves of his keikogi held back by a tasuki cloth as he wipes his forehead, his eyes refocusing again.

He then turns to look at Shuuhei, having sensed his presence already.

“Kuchiki-dono,” Shuuhei greets, bowing to him before straightening up.

“Hisagi.” Kuchiki-dono sets his bokken down. “How were Abarai’s swordsmanship skills?”

Shuuhei nods. “He’s a skilled warrior,” he says. “And he’s certainly quite strong for a human.”

“Excellent,” Kuchiki-dono says impassively, heading towards the steps up to the engawa porch. “Now then, I will be returning to my residence for the day.”

“Wait for a minute, my lord,” Shuuhei says, making him stop in his tracks.

“What is it?” Kuchiki-dono raises an eyebrow slightly.

Shuuhei holds himself firm as he speaks.

“You should consider training with Abarai, Kuchiki-dono,” he tells him.

Kuchiki-dono doesn’t react, allowing Shuuhei to continue.

“After all, if you wish for him to serve alongside you in battle, you must become familiar with his style of fighting, am I correct?” he points out. “Likewise, he also has to familiarize himself with your fighting skills.”

Now, Kuchiki-dono is looking at him as if he’d gone mad.

“Why do you think I should do that, Hisagi?” he asks.

Shuuhei folds his arms across his chest, recalling the way Abarai had reacted when he’d come to the castle last night. “How do you think this all looks to him, my lord?” he asks. “Hardly any lights, his own steed getting scared the moment the stablehand tried to take care of him, and a daimyo who isolates himself from the people of his own household? It’ll only be a matter of time before he senses something is off. I know for a fact that he was the only one in the mess hall during breakfast this morning.”

“You yourself said it last night, didn’t you?” Kuchiki-dono says coolly, a tinge of irritation in his voice. “I am susceptible to humans with keen spiritual perception, and I could easily hurt Abarai if I’m overwhelmed by his scent.”

So _that’s_ his excuse? He wants to keep on running away from his issues? The real Kuchiki Byakuya would never allow himself to do such a thing, so how can he be acting so shamefully?

Shuuhei can’t believe what he’s hearing from his lord.

“You’re only doing this so you don’t have to deal with what happened,” he scolds him, raising his voice slightly. “How can you even hope to move forward if you keep running away from your problems?”

Only he can raise his voice against Kuchiki-dono and get away with it. And fortunately, Abarai is nowhere near this area, so he won’t be able to overhear this.

Kuchiki-dono narrows his eyes, flaring his reiatsu. “Do you not remember what happened with Hisana?” he reminds him sharply. “Or what about Hinamori? I know a commoner like yourself doesn’t understand, but you should know why I’m doing this.”

Shuuhei’s hands tremble as they curl into fists, and he glares back at Kuchiki-dono.

 _He_ doesn’t understand? He bears the scars from that horrible day! How dare he insinuate that he does not understand?!

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?!” Shuuhei demands, his voice rising in anger. “Don’t patronize me, Kuchiki Byakuya! Do you not forget that I bear the evidence of what happened that night?!” He points to his scars. “I’m not a bystander and you know it, so don’t you dare tell me I don’t understand!”

Kuchiki-dono remains silent, perhaps too stunned to even respond, but Shuuhei is nowhere near finished.

“You can’t hide from your shame forever, Kuchiki-dono! What are you gonna do, go on another years-long campaign?! That’s the coward’s way of doing things!” he shouts at him. “If you ever wish to atone for what happened to Hisana-sama and make amends with Hinamori and I, then you need to start facing your problems like the adult that you are!”

Now, Kuchiki-dono flinches as he closes his eyes and bows his head in shame. He looks strangely wounded, and Shuuhei just sighs, rubbing his face.

“You’re right,” Kuchiki-dono says at last. “I… I apologize, Hisagi.”

Despite the awkwardness in his voice, Shuuhei can sense the sincere undertone beneath the apology.

“I have to overcome this… fear of mine,” Kuchiki-dono continues. “I’ll do my best. But I’m still afraid.” He looks down. “If it ever happens again-”

“It _won’t,”_ Shuuhei tells him firmly. “I’ll make sure of that.”

Kuchiki-dono nods slowly, his eyes softening just a little. “I thank you, Hisagi,” he says sincerely.

Shuuhei nods in response, his heart aching a little.

There’s no doubt that there have been many issues no thanks to Kuchiki-dono’s… other side. Even among others of their kind, his other side has caused many problems for himself and everyone in the clan. And there’s no doubt that Kuchiki-dono has been plagued by guilt and remorse for all the pain it’s caused. Even though Shuuhei has already forgiven him, and so have Hinamori and Hisana, Kuchiki-dono is still haunted with regret from that horrible night, unable to find a way to atone properly for everything that happened.

But Shuuhei won’t let his lord be consumed by his guilt and fears. No matter what happens, he’ll make sure he conquers his problems. 

And hopefully, Abarai Renji can help Kuchiki-dono in overcoming his shame and fear before the campaign against the Ginjo Clan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And with that, Chapter 2 is finished. But don't worry, our boys will be getting closer soon enough ;)
> 
> Please let me know how I did, and have a good one!


	3. Hidden Depths

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Byakuya invites Renji to have tea with him in the evening. Though it cannot last too long, and it must end before night comes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's Chapter 3, where we get a bit more insight into Byakuya~
> 
> Also, I recommend listening to the Oni Island track from the Okami OST for the last part of this chapter.
> 
> I hope you all enjoy!

Byakuya dips his brush into the wet inkstone, letting the black ink seep into the brush hair, then elegantly moves it to the mulberry paper upon his tsuke-shoin as he starts practicing the gyosho style of calligraphy. His study is as silent as ever, and with a ray of sunlight streaming in from the window, it’s truly a fitting environment for an activity as relaxing as calligraphy.

However, as he writes, his mind wanders back to Hisagi’s words, making him falter slightly.

_You can’t hide from your shame forever! If you ever wish to atone for what happened to Hisana-sama and make amends with Hinamori and I, then you need to start facing your problems like the adult that you are!_

A sigh escapes from Byakuya’s lips, his heart aching slightly.

“Hisana…” he whispers sadly, setting the brush down for a moment.

Just the mere mention of his late wife’s name is enough to make Byakuya’s heart hurt. His mind is flooded with memories of a happier time, of her sweet voice calling him, ‘Byakuya-sama’, of her small and frail body pressed against his own as they’d slept together.

She may have been only a human, but her spiritual awareness had been sharp and strong. Even more, she never once scorned Byakuya for what he is. She’d loved him with an earnest heart, just as earnestly as he’d loved her, and the whole castle had been much brighter when she’d been alive.

He can never forgive himself for what he’d done to her. Hisana had done nothing wrong in their time together as husband and wife, and he’d repaid her love by… by…

Byakuya opens his eyes, forcing himself not to remember. He swallows the lump in his throat as he sighs shakily, and picks up his brush to resume his calligraphy again, unable to ignore the ache in his heart.

 _I’m so sorry, my love._ He thinks. _I know you have already forgiven me, but how can I forgive myself?_

Again, he remembers Hisagi’s words and sighs quietly to himself.

As much as he doesn’t want to admit, Hisagi is right. Byakuya is just running away from his problems, which is what he’d done when he’d embarked on that campaign against the Aizen Clan in the Sagami Province two years ago, shortly after Hisana’s death.

Now that he has returned to the Senbonzakura Castle, Byakuya knows that he has to face his fears and deal with them, once and for all. He can’t keep running away from his shame; it’s absolutely disgraceful, and what does it say about him?

He’s a daimyo, and the twenty-first head of the Kuchiki Clan. He should be dealing with his problems, rather than running away like a scared boy.

And yet, at the same time, his heart clenches slightly in worry.

What if he does the same thing to Abarai? Byakuya cannot bear to repeat what happened with Hisana, and if he ends up killing him, he’ll never forgive himself.

Hell, he may very well commit seppuku if it happens again.

 _Why can I not just deal with my fears?_ Byakuya wonders, completing a line of kanji. _Why do I just want to run away from my problems again?_

Right then, his thoughts are interrupted by the melody of a gottan from outside in the private courtyard. Raising an eyebrow, Byakuya slides the shoji window open and leans closer to get a better look.

Out in the private courtyard, Abarai sits beneath the shade of the eaves and leans against the wall right near the window of Rukia’s quarters, his face relaxed as he strums the gottan strings with his pick to play a simple folk melody, one that he seems to be familiar with.

Something about this, particularly the content expression on Abarai’s face, is so innocently charming. To see such a fierce man looking so peaceful from playing the gottan right now… Byakuya can’t help but feel charmed.

Another unfamiliar emotion stirs within him, and all Byakuya knows right now is that perhaps it won’t hurt to get to know Abarai some more.

Though he should start things slow, rather than jumping to training right away.

Fortunately, Hinamori happens to be entering the study with some tea, so Byakuya immediately takes the opportunity.

“Hinamori,” he calls her.

“Yes, Kuchiki-sama?”

He hears her soft footsteps approaching the tsuke-shoin before she sets down a cup of tea beside him.

“I want you to inform Abarai that he shall be having tea with me this evening,” Byakuya tells her.

Hinamori nods. “I shall go and inform him, Kuchiki-sama,” she says with a polite smile and bow.

She then leaves the room, and Byakuya watches her depart with a limp in her steps, one that she has no longer bothered with trying to hide. Yet every time he watches her limp away, Byakuya’s mind always goes back to that horrible night, where the limp had originated from.

And that’s not getting into how else the night had affected her permanently… 

He turns back to his paper and resumes his calligraphy, trying to banish the unpleasant memories. As he continues painting out kanji characters, he sighs quietly to himself.

_I hope the tea will go well this evening._

* * *

Renji opens his eyes as the song he’s playing gradually comes to an end, and he strums the gottan strings one last time before putting the pick away.

For as long as he can remember, he’s always been able to play the gottan. His instrument might be old now, but it’s still functional, and its sound is still as melodic as ever.

He’d learned to play the gottan from Zaraki Kenpachi, a former-samurai-turned- hunter from the Satsuma province, whom Unohana has been close to recently. In all honesty, Renji had never imagined a brutish and rough-looking man like Zaraki to be good at playing the gottan, but he’d really taken him by surprise when he’d first played it.

Thinking of those gottan lessons brings Unohana back to mind. Is she doing alright today? Yes, it’s only been one day since Renji has come here, but even so, he can’t help but wonder what she’s up to right now.

Vaguely, he wonders if Unohana will use his absence as an opportunity to spend more time with Zaraki. Unohana has been close to him since her husband and son’s deaths, and more than once, Renji has caught them acting rather familiar with each other. It’s not like he’s unaware of how Zaraki has always been soft on Unohana, which she seems happy to accept most of the time.

For some reason, this makes him blush a little, and he shakes his head to clear his thoughts.

Why is he blushing over this? He’s an adult man, he knows what love is, so why is it that the thought of Unohana and Zaraki being in love makes him blush like a child?

“I must say, that was quite a lovely performance.”

A melodic and elegant voice interrupts Renji’s thoughts, and he quickly stands up just in time to see a young noblewoman rounding the corner of the engawa and approaching the private courtyard.

Almost immediately, Renji is struck by the sight of her. The noblewoman carries herself with a dignified and graceful air, dressed in a long lilac-coloured kimono and an elaborate indigo uchikake patterned with swan motifs upon the silk, and her black hair has been done up in an elaborate hairstyle with pretty kanzashi and other ornaments.

But what really gets Renji’s attention the most are her eyes. Even though they are violet in colour, they bear a strong resemblance to those of Kuchiki-dono himself.

Though unlike his near-permanent expression of aloof indifference, this noblewoman has eyes that are earnest and open. But at the same time, a strangely-dark force seems to emanate from her, one that sends a chill down Renji’s spine.

Quickly, Renji bows in greeting to her and straightens up again as she begins speaking.

“I was practicing my rikka when I heard music from outside my window, and it was quite wonderful to listen to while working on my arrangement,” the noblewoman tells him, regarding him with a glimmer of amusement in her eyes. “Imagine my surprise when I discovered that it was our new guest playing for me.”

Renji’s cheeks heat up from the praise, and he nods shyly. “You praise me too much, my lady,” he tells her.

The noblewoman just chuckles. “My name is Kuchiki Rukia, the younger sister of Kuchiki Byakuya,” she introduces herself. “And you must be the red-haired ronin. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

With a nod, Renji smiles slightly. “Yes. My name is Abarai Renji,” he says. “It is an honour to meet you, Kuchiki-sama.”

Even though he smiles in a friendly way, the dark force that emanates from her is so strangely off-putting. But really, is this castle cursed? Almost everyone he’s met here seems to radiate that eerie dark force that always sends a chill down his spine.

“Like I said, you have talent with the gottan,” Rukia-sama tells him, taking a seat on the engawa porch.

“Again, you humble me,” Renji says as he takes a seat as well. “Where is Kuchiki-dono? I don’t think I’ve seen him at all today.”

“Nii-sama is practicing calligraphy in his study,” Rukia-sama says. “It’s one of his hobbies that he always does after training.” She smiles wistfully. “He tends to keep to himself a lot. He’s never really been one to socialize too much.”

“I see,” Renji says.

Well, that does make a bit of sense. Even during their first meeting, he’d kind of understood that Kuchiki-dono is not a very social person.

“Abarai-san?”

His thoughts are interrupted by another familiar voice, and Renji turns around again to see Hinamori rounding the corner, only to stop in surprise upon seeing Rukia-sama.

“M-My lady!” she greets, bowing quickly. “I didn’t think you would be out here! I thought you were practicing your rikka arrangements!”

“I was,” Rukia-sama says. “But I decided to get to know our new guest a little bit.”

Hinamori nods before turning her attention to Renji with a slight smile.

“Abarai-san, I have a message for you from Kuchiki-dono,” she tells him. “He has invited you to join him for tea this evening in the chashitsu, and he looks forward to meeting you.”

Renji’s eyes widen slightly, but he can’t deny the bit of excitement he feels right now. So he’s finally going to be seeing Kuchiki-dono soon?

“It’s… It’s an honour to accept his invitation!” he tells her, trying to conceal his excitement. “I also look forward to seeing him this evening!”

“I will be sure to relay that to him,” Hinamori says cheerily with a bow.

As she turns and walks off, that’s when Renji notices the limp in her steps for the first time. Judging from how she walks, it seems like a pretty bad limp, and he can’t help but wonder what happened to her.

“Is… Is she alright?” Renji asks, frowning slightly. “Why is Hinamori-san limping?”

Strangely, Rukia-sama’s eyes seem to become a bit more rueful at that.

“Her leg was injured in an animal attack,” she says quietly. “Even so, her recovery was quite a miracle, considering how severe the attack was.”

Renji raises an eyebrow. “An animal attack…” he muses thoughtfully.

Indeed, it is quite the miracle for her to have recovered if it were that severe.

His thoughts go back to the tea invitation with Kuchiki-dono, and as much as he looks forward to it, he also feels rather apprehensive about it. But perhaps this could be a great precursor to them eventually training together in the future.

“You should consider yourself lucky, Abarai-san,” Rukia-sama tells him with a slight smile. “Nii-sama inviting you for tea means that he is interested in making your acquaintance.”

Well, that’s certainly even better. Hopefully, Renji doesn’t make a fool out of himself in front of Kuchiki-dono.

* * *

Evening comes all too soon, and Byakuya is now sitting in seiza upon the tatami mats of the chashitsu as he waits for Abarai. The evening light filters in through the shoji screen window, and he turns his gaze to the tokonoma that displays a hanging kakemono with mountain scenery, and an ikebana arrangement beneath it.

The tea and wagashi have already been prepared, though Byakuya has no plans on consuming the latter. It’s not like he can. Only green tea is good for him to have; anything else will taste awful to him.

Hopefully this meeting won’t go on for too long. It will have to end before night arrives, otherwise the dull pang of hunger within him will drive him insane.

Fortunately, it doesn’t take too long for Abarai to arrive. As is customary, he enters the chashitsu through the guest entrance after rinsing his hands and mouth in the stone water basin outside. Upon entering the tea room, Abarai bows in Byakuya’s direction.

“Good evening, Kuchiki-dono,” he greets.

Byakuya nods, taking in the sight of him in his blue hakama and kosode. “Good evening,” he says. “Take your seat, Abarai.”

Abarai obeys, kneeling into seiza upon the guest tatami mat across from him. He looks a little awkward, no doubt from how low the ceiling is. Byakuya cannot really blame him either; Abarai is a lot taller than the average man in this country, so clearly he’d feel uncomfortable in such an enclosed space.

But thanks to the enclosed space, Abarai’s unique scent is much more overpowering than it had been in the shoin hall.

Byakuya softly inhales his fresh and woodsy scent, and it still smells as wonderful as it did last night. Not since Hisana has any other human smelled so tempting and unique to him until now.

Eventually, he forces himself to stop indulging, and turns his attention back to Abarai.

“How have you found your stay so far?” Byakuya asks.

Abarai blinks once before nodding slowly. “It… It has gone well so far, milord,” he says, still looking hesitant. “I even got to meet your younger sister. I must say that she’s quite a lovely woman.”

It’s so strange, really. Abarai Renji has such a fierce and handsome appearance, with his black tattoos and long, vermillion-red hair that he keeps in a high ponytail, and yet right now, he seems rather shy.

Such a contrast is quite intriguing, and yet it’s also quite charming.

“She is a lovely woman,” Byakuya agrees. “I can imagine that your skills with the gottan were what attracted her.”

Much to his amusement, a light blush stains Abarai’s cheeks. “Y-You heard that?” he asks.

“But of course. It had been quite nice to listen to while practicing calligraphy.”

“Th-Thank you, milord,” Abarai says shyly. “I like to play it in my free time.”

Right then, Hinamori enters the chashitsu with a tray that holds two cups of tea and a small dish of wagashi.

“Gyokuro and wagashi, Kuchiki-dono,” she says, setting the tray on the table between them before departing.

Once she’s departed, Byakuya picks up his cup of tea and takes a sip. As always, the tea is exquisite, its flavours light and delicate, and its warmth is absolutely soothing.

He sets the cup down and glances at Abarai, raising an eyebrow when he notices that he hasn’t touched his own cup.

“You may have some now,” he tells him.

Abarai moves as though broken out of a trance, picking up his cup. He takes a small sip, then sets the cup down as he nods.

“It’s very good,” he praises.

That’s certainly good to hear. With a nod, Byakuya then gestures to the wagashi. “Make sure you enjoy it with those, too,” he encourages.

“Of… Of course.”

Silence hangs in the air for a moment before Byakuya breaks it again. Perhaps now would be a good time to get to know him a little.

“Tell me a bit about yourself, Abarai,” he says.

Abarai pauses, swallowing his mouthful of tea before speaking. “Well…” he begins pensively. “I come from the village of Kizokugai, and I live there with Unohana-san, the village miko. She did a lot to support us, and I wanted to help her somehow. So I did a lot of sword training with Zaraki-san, the village hunter, and when I was fourteen, I went and served my first daimyo, Komamura Sajin, for two years so I could pay them both back.”

Byakuya nods slowly. It’s impressive how far Abarai has gone to repay this miko for her kindness. 

“She sounds like a good woman,” he muses. “How long have you been away from your village?”

“Six years, I believe,” Abarai says. “I’d served Komamura Sajin for two years, then after his death, I served Hitsugaya Toshiro for another two years until I was eighteen. And after him, I served beneath Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni for two years until his death. I returned to my village afterwards and have been living there for three months now.”

 _So he didn’t seek out another daimyo to serve afterwards?_ Byakuya thinks, faintly surprised.

Considering the numerous wars among many daimyo across the country, it’s not uncommon for ronin to constantly be on the search for new lords to serve. And it’s definitely not uncommon for some of them to become daimyo themselves.

Abarai seems like quite a strong man; strong enough to become a daimyo if he wants to. Just why hadn’t he done that?

“It’s interesting that you opted to return to your home instead of seeking another lord, Abarai,” Byakuya observes. “A man with a reputation like yours could have easily found another lord to serve, or even become a lord himself.”

“Perhaps so,” Abarai responds, his eyes softening slightly. “But I didn’t become a samurai for glory or fame. I only became one to help people around me, and to repay Unohana-san for taking care of me since my parents died. And I wanted to help in defending my village in case danger comes by. That is why I returned home.”

Well, that’s quite an unusual answer. However, Byakuya can’t help but admire Abarai’s dedication and loyalty to his village, and his honesty as to why he’d become a samurai.

Never before has Byakuya encountered such an interesting human since Hisana, and there is certainly a lot more to Abarai than what meets the eye.

Perhaps inviting him for tea had been a good idea, after all.

* * *

Renji can’t really believe he’s gotten this far with Kuchiki-dono. To be able to share this much about his life, and for him to be actually _listening_ to him… he’d never imagined this happening.

It’s almost flattering how interested Kuchiki-dono is in him. Renji cannot remember getting this close to his previous lords outside of battle, so to be able to get this close to Kuchiki-dono is quite the honour.

At the same time, there’s something so completely enchanting about Kuchiki-dono himself. The man is so beautiful in an exquisite and refined manner. No, he’s not just beautiful. He’s downright _ethereal._

Renji doesn’t even know how he can describe it. But the way his jet-black hair delicately frames his face, the way his deep-blue robes stand out against his pale skin, and even the way he carries himself, all of it has something indescribably attractive to it.

And yet, the dark force that seems to emanate from him is so powerful, and Renji knows that this man is not to be underestimated. After all, Kuchiki-dono didn’t become a daimyo for nothing.

In fact, such authority and dignity makes Renji falter as he wonders how to bring up the next subject without sounding so rude.

“Er, Kuchiki-dono?” he says, getting his attention. “I just realized we never discussed my, um…” He trails off awkwardly.

Fortunately, Kuchiki-dono figures out what he wants to say.

“Your compensation?” he asks, to which Renji nods.

“I will have the first half delivered to Unohana-san tomorrow,” he tells him, sounding unoffended.

Renji smiles appreciatively, feeling relieved. “Thank you so much, milord.”

He takes another sip of tea, pausing as he wonders about his next question. Should he really ask him about it, or will he get offended?

No, he should ask him about it.

“Will we be able to train together at some point?” Renji asks tentatively.

Kuchiki-dono nods. “I will make time to train with you, Abarai.” His eyes glint mysteriously in the evening light, making Renji’s heart beat a little faster. “But you should be prepared. I’m not a merciful warrior, after all.”

But of course. Renji has heard about Kuchiki-dono’s legendary reputation as a fierce and lethal warrior in battle. Even though he has a strong code of honour, he is absolutely merciless in battle, and even his own men are as lethal as him.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Renji says, his voice tinged with amusement.

He won’t lie. A part of him almost wants to see that inner beast come out in battle. Renji might not be as vicious as some samurai, but he still loves a good fight, and he certainly can’t wait to see how Kuchiki-dono fights as well.

The rest of the evening goes by quickly and before Renji realizes, the tea comes to an end. Now, he has to return to the barracks and prepare for bed so he can get some rest for tomorrow.

Both he and Kuchiki-dono leave the chashitsu and make their way back to the castle proper, preparing to part ways to the barracks and personal residence, respectively.

Before he heads to the barracks, Renji bows to his lord in gratitude. “Thank you for inviting me, Kuchiki-dono,” he says sincerely. “I truly enjoyed having tea with you.”

He straightens up just in time to see Byakuya respond with a simple nod.

“I… I also enjoyed having tea with you,” he says hesitantly. “I thank you, Abarai, and I hope you have a good night.”

“Likewise, milord,” Renji says, unable to stop himself from smiling.

With that, he heads back to the barracks, a pleasant warmth spreading through his chest.

All in all, the tea had been quite successful. Not only did he not embarrass himself in any way, but it seems like he’s earned Kuchiki-dono’s approval as well.

Hopefully, he can get to know Kuchiki-dono a bit more in the future.

* * *

The sun has set well past the horizon. Night has come, and a crescent moon shines among the inky-blue sky as stars twinkle all around him, the heat as strong as ever.

Byakuya silently approaches the small gate that opens up to a private pathway. Dressed in an old black yukata with koi motifs printed on the silk, he glances around, nodding in greeting to some of the night guards.

“Going out, milord?”

Right then, Hisagi approaches him just as he’s nearing the gates.

Stopping in his tracks, Byakuya responds with a nod. “Of course,” he says. “I cannot put it off any longer.”

“Be careful, Kuchiki-dono,” Hisagi cautions him. “And make sure you’re going after a prey animal.”

“I know.” Byakuya glances at him. “I’ll be back soon enough.”

With that, he heads out, going down the private pathway towards the forest.

He enters into a shadowed part of the forest, glancing around him to make sure no one else is here, then slides the yukata off his naked body, letting it pool on the forest floor around his feet.

Like an animal, Byakuya crouches on the ground, trembling slightly as the shadows fully envelope him. His heart beats faster than ever, his blood surging through his veins that become more visible beneath his skin. 

He curls his lips into a snarl as his canine teeth grow into fangs, a low growl escaping his lips as his nails shift into sharp black claws.

As Byakuya’s growling becomes more feral, two black horns grow from his forehead, and he can feel the pupils of his eyes start to glow bright red.

At last, the transformation is complete.

Slowly, he rises from the ground, no longer the cool and elegant daimyo whom everyone is familiar with.

Byakuya scans his surroundings, his stomach clawing with hunger. _Blood… I need blood…_

His ears pick up on the cautious footsteps of a newcomer behind him, and he turns to see a deer peeking from the bushes.

A feral grin completely unbecoming of him crosses his face.

The deer turns and flees. Byakuya instantly pursues it.

He is swift and silent in his chase, and no matter how fast the deer runs, it stands no chance against him. Not when he uses his own strategies to outwit his prey.

It isn’t long before Byakuya catches up with the deer, and before it can flee again, he leaps on top of it and quickly sinks his fangs into its neck.

The deer struggles and flails as it crashes to the ground, but Byakuya is unrelenting. Its blood pours into Byakuya’s mouth, and he hungrily swallows down every last bit of its life force, barely registering the deer’s struggling until at last, it goes completely still.

Gradually, the hunger begins to fade, and his mind clears up as he slowly pulls away from the carcass. Byakuya wipes off some of the blood around his mouth and cleans it up, not wanting to waste a single drop.

He must look a mess right now. Then again, this is exactly why he hunts naked. 

“Thank you for the meal,” he murmurs to the carcass as he rises to his feet.

While most demons would’ve torn apart the carcass and eaten all the meat from it, Byakuya cannot. While he might be the among the strongest demons of his current generation, he’s different from most demons, since he derives his nutrients solely from an animal’s blood, and he only needs one animal’s blood to sustain himself for a whole month.

However, once every month, an animal’s blood is just not enough. And those times are incredibly dangerous for himself, other humans, and even for other demons, as Hisana, Hisagi, and Hinamori had learned the hard way.

The earth feels cool beneath his bare feet, and the night breeze caresses his pale skin that glistens with sweat. He makes his way back to that shadowed area where his yukata lies discarded, letting the shadows envelop him completely once more.

He slowly shifts back into his human form, the horns disappearing, his claws shifting back into nails, his eyes resuming their normal colour, and his fangs retracting. With a sigh, he bends down and picks up his yukata, sliding it back on.

As he re-ties the kaku obi around his yukata, his nape tingles with a strange, prickling sensation, as if he’s being watched. 

Right then, he detects a lingering dark force among the forest, though it seems to be retreating.

_What the…?_

Byakuya frowns as he flares his own dark force slightly. Suddenly, he picks up on the traces of the same presence from different parts of the forest, one that’s completely unfamiliar to him.

He frowns.

This is _his_ territory. No other demon should be hunting here; it’s strictly forbidden to hunt on another demon’s territory. Whoever it is, they certainly won’t be getting off lightly.

With that, Byakuya turns and heads deeper into the forest towards one of the residual sources, determined to figure out just who has the nerve to hunt in Kuchiki Clan territory.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes:
> 
> \- Gyosho is the semi-cursive style of Japanese calligraphy, and it uses a softer and more rounded technique.
> 
> \- A gottan is a three-stringed plucked instrument similar to a shamisen. What makes it different from a shamisen is that it's made entirely of wood. In addition, it was introduced into Japan during the 16th century, and is used for folk songs.
> 
> \- Rikka is another form of ikebana, or flower arrangement, and it was most popular during the 16th century. 
> 
> \- A chashitsu is a tea house mainly designed for tea ceremony. It is believed that the first chashitsu was built by the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimisa, the 8th shogun of the Ashikaga shogunate, during the Muromachi period from 1449-1473.
> 
> And now, we get to see what Byakuya really is~ Honestly, I kind of liked writing these two different sides to him: the dignified daimyo and the feral and vicious demon.
> 
> Please let me know how I did, and have a good one!


	4. The Daimyo and the Miko

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Renji continues his training, Byakuya prepares to deliver the first part of payment as promised. Meanwhile, Unohana Retsu considers the increasing presence of the dark force in the forest this past while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's Chapter 4, everyone! Thank you for all your support so far! I'm really enjoying this story, especially since I'd never imagined it possible to write a Sengoku period story with hints of gothic romance to it!
> 
> I hope you all enjoy!

The search for the trespasser had turned out to be fruitless. Byakuya isn’t sure how long he’d spent in the forest trying to find the trespasser, but apart from residual traces of that dark reiatsu in certain areas, it’s safe to say that they managed to escape from him.

Nevertheless, Byakuya knows that he has to stop them right away, and also inform his staff about the trespasser. And may fate forbid that the trespasser come across him when he does his nightly training in the forest…

No, it would be better if that happened. Then he can quickly dispose of them and teach them a lesson as to what happens to those who trespass on Kuchiki Clan territory.

Currently, Byakuya walks back to the castle, going through the private path he’d used earlier. By now, Abarai must be asleep, so he surely won’t notice him entering the grounds again.

As he enters through the gates once more, he finds Hisagi waiting for him as always.

“Welcome back, milord,” Hisagi greets him. “How was the hunt?”

Byakuya nods. “It went well. But I will need a bath now.”

He then regards him more seriously. “I also discovered something unusual in the forest,” he says.

“What do you mean?”

“It was shortly after I’d finished hunting,” Byakuya tells him. “I’d sensed an unknown dark force in the forest as I’d been changing, but it quickly disappeared. When I tried to search it out, I started sensing residual traces of that same dark force from different parts of the forest. I couldn’t recognize it, but it’s safe to say that there is a trespasser on our territory.”

Hisagi regards him in surprise. “A trespasser?” he repeats.

Byakuya nods. “Like I said, I do not know who it is.” He briefly closes his eyes. “But from what I managed to detect, they’ve been hunting on our territory for some time now.”

“That’s strictly forbidden, isn’t it?” Hisagi recalls gravely. “It’s practically a declaration of war!”

“It is,” Byakuya agrees. “Which is why we must figure out who the culprit is sooner or later.”

As he says that, a part of him begins to wonder as to whether or not the culprit is someone from the Ginjo Clan. He wouldn’t put it past them to do something like that, in all honesty.

However, he shouldn’t speculate and make accusations right now.

And that’s when he remembers another important errand to take care of.

“Tomorrow, I shall be going to the village,” he says to Hisagi. “I have to deliver the first part of the payment to Unohana Retsu, the miko whom Abarai resides with. Make sure you get it ready for tomorrow evening.”

“Of course, milord.”

With that, Byakuya heads towards his private residence, eager to get out of this yukata and have a nice warm bath in his bathing chambers.

* * *

The next morning, Renji wakes up around the same time as yesterday, right as the sun is beginning to rise. From his windows, he can see the sky slowly becoming lighter, gradually fading from an inky-blue to a more pinkish colour, and something about it makes him feel at peace right now.

As always, he gets himself ready for the day and dresses into his keikogi and hakama for training, and once he’s tied his hair up and put on his tabi and waraji, he grabs his bokken and bamboo shinai and heads down to the mess hall for breakfast.

Yet instead of an empty mess hall like yesterday, there are actually other samurai foot soldiers, all dressed in keikogi and hakama, in the hall, much to Renji’s surprise. However, he can’t help how relieved he is that he won’t be the only one in there today.

 _Looks like I got company at last._ He thinks as he enters the mess hall.

However, the minute he steps into the hall, it’s as if all their attention is upon him.

Renji tenses up slightly as he notices the other foot soldiers looking at him with curiosity and surprise. While their conversations continue, he can hear more whispers than had been initially there before.

He eats his breakfast quickly to avoid any more awkwardness, but it doesn’t stop himself from feeling a little overwhelmed at the rather dark presence he feels in this hall.

_Am I gonna be training with them today?_

“Ah, you’re awake.”

As if on cue, Hisagi enters the mess hall and makes his way towards Renji, who sets down his bowl as he notices the other men offering bows of greeting.

“Good morning, Hisagi-san,” Renji greets, standing up. “It’s nice to see the other soldiers here.”

Hisagi nods. “They were training in a different part of the complex,” he explains. “But today, you’ll be training with them, and I’ll be leading the training session.”

“Well, I look forward to it,” Renji says sincerely.

At the same time, he can’t help but wonder about Kuchiki-dono. When will he ever come and train with them? Surely he should be concerned about the level of his soldiers’ skills, right?

Hisagi glances at him, as if reading his mind.

“You need to be patient, Abarai,” he advises. “Kuchiki-dono will train with you and the other soldiers eventually. He has some important business to attend to today, but he’ll make time for training.”

That sounds fair enough, Renji supposes.

He follows Hisagi and the rest of the samurai all the way to a much larger training courtyard, one that’s further away from the main part of the castle complex. By now, the sun’s rays are shining over the land, bathing everything in orange as it continues to rise.

Renji steps out onto the courtyard along with everyone else, taking a place at the very front row of soldiers. Ignoring the curious stares on him, he keeps his gaze on Hisagi as he gets his own bokken ready and relays instructions in a firm voice.

Training begins without any delay or hesitation, and Renji makes sure to follow every instruction that Hisagi gives out. However, as they train, he can’t help but notice just how the other soldiers seem to possess a kind of lethality in their bokken strikes, despite the fact that this isn’t supposed to be actual fighting.

When they move onto training with the bamboo shinai, however, that’s when Renji really notices the change in the foot soldiers.

All of them remain dignified and elegant, yet their techniques are very dangerous. They seem to treat training as if it’s actual battle instead of practice, and all Renji can think about is how much he does _not_ want to get on their bad side.

He can’t recall the soldiers of Komamura, Hitsugaya, or Yamamoto being this fierce in their training sessions at all.

 _Just what have I gotten myself into?_ He can’t help but wonder. Nevertheless, the training session is quite fruitful, and Renji enjoys observing the others’ styles of fighting.

Eventually, during a break, Renji just washes his face from a bucket of water to cool himself off, listening to some of the soldiers’ conversations when he hears some footsteps behind him.

“Excuse me, Abarai-san?”

Renji turns around to see a younger man before him, a friendly smile on his face and his eyes filled with an innocence that hasn’t yet been tarnished. Something about that is quite refreshing, he can’t help but think.

“Yeah?”

The man suddenly looks a little flustered, and he quickly bows. “My name is Rikichi, and I’m a new recruit of Kuchiki-dono’s army!” he introduces himself. “I’ve heard all about you, Abarai-san, and it’s an honour to meet you!”

Renji can’t help the smile that briefly crosses his face. “It’s nice to meet you too, Rikichi,” he says sincerely. “You did pretty good in training.”

“The same with you, Abarai-san,” Rikichi says sincerely. “I think your reputation has been well-earned; even with a bokken and shinai, you’re quite strong!”

“Oh, well…” Renji chuckles shyly, rubbing the back of his neck. “Thanks…”

Looking at him, it’s obvious that Rikichi is barely out of his teenage years; most likely seventeen-years-old. Yet he has a lot of potential within him, one that he’s clearly eager to bring out through training.

However, Renji can sense a faint trace of that dark force within Rikichi, and come to think of it, he can sense the same force from all the other foot soldiers as well. It’s not as prominent as it had been in Hisagi, Hinamori, Kuchiki-dono, and Rukia-sama, but it’s very much there in all of them.

Though he knows better than to ask questions about it. He has a feeling that such questions won’t be appreciated very much.

After some time, the soldiers’ training comes to an end, and they move on to do other duties like patrols in the area around the castle, as per Hisagi’s orders. Renji, on the other hand, decides to continue doing his own training by himself.

He goes back to the private courtyard where he and Hisagi had trained in yesterday, wiping the thin sheen of sweat he’d worked up during training off his forehead. It’s getting hot again, and it won’t be long before the humidity settles in.

With a sigh, Renji slips out of his keikogi, letting it hang at his sides. Holding the grip of his bokken in both hands, he starts to practice his sword swings and strikes, the wooden blade cutting through the air like it’s nothing.

He wields his weapon in both hands, incorporates coordinated jumps along with his sword strikes, and alternates various diagonal strikes across his imaginary opponent’s torso. Zaraki himself has taught him many of these fighting techniques, and Renji had also spent a good part of his childhood training in the forest, but it was his previous lords who had helped him refine those techniques.

And even in his three months back in the village, he’d never stopped training, mainly to prepare himself if he ever comes across the phantom killer in the forest.

At that thought, Renji frowns as his strikes become more forceful. Sweat slides down his upper torso and arms as he forcefully slashes his bokken downwards. 

What has happened in the village since his departure? Has the phantom killer returned again? How many more people has it killed this time?

So preoccupied in his thoughts he is, he fails to hear the footsteps upon the engawa porch behind him until a familiar baritone voice speaks.

“Training hard, aren’t we, Abarai?”

Renji startles slightly, his grip on his bokken nearly slipping as he quickly turns around in surprise.

Standing on the porch is Kuchiki-dono himself, looking refined and dignified as ever.

Instantly, Renji straightens up before bowing.

“K-Kuchiki-dono!” he greets, standing back up. “I didn’t expect to see you here!”

Kuchiki-dono doesn’t answer, his cool gray eyes focusing intently on something. Renji follows his line of vision, his cheeks quickly heating up as he realizes that his lord is looking at his tattoos.

What is this? Why is his attention making him so flustered all of a sudden?

“You have more tattoos than I realized, Abarai,” Kuchiki-dono observes. “They complement your hair and body quite well.”

Renji’s ears burn, and it’s certainly not from the humid heat.

“You humble me, milord…” he says, looking down bashfully.

He certainly hadn’t expected Kuchiki-dono to show an interest in his tattoos, that’s for sure.

“Your technique is also interesting,” Kuchiki-dono continues. “You exhibit fine swordsmanship skills, and you wield the bokken excellently.”

Renji nods slowly, his heart feeling a little warmer. “You praise me too much.”

“Oh, but I’m serious, Abarai,” Kuchiki-dono tells him, his eyes glinting mysteriously. “In fact, I very much look forward to training with you soon.”

With that, he turns and continues on his way, and all Renji can do is stare after him in surprise.

He certainly hadn’t expected to be praised like this, especially on his physical appearance as well. But to hear that Kuchiki-dono looks forward to training with him? It’s almost unimaginable.

Not even his previous lords have praised him to this extent.

_Kuchiki-dono… you really are a strange daimyo._

* * *

Evening is close, and by now, the foot soldiers have finished their patrol duties and have returned to the barracks for the evening. The sun is nearing the horizon, painting the sky in fiery colours as the weather becomes a bit more bearable.

Shuuhei lingers near the training courtyard where Abarai is right now, admiring the cypress trees when he notices Kuchiki-dono emerging from within the building.

“Are you heading out now?” he asks, turning to look at him.

Kuchiki-dono is dressed in the same deep-blue kimono and hakama, but he also wears a black haori that has the Kuchiki clan _mon,_ a sakura flower encircled by a roundel, printed on either side.

“Of course I am,” Kuchiki-dono says. “I’m going to be delivering the first portion of the payment to Unohana Retsu. Make sure Abarai is obeying the rules as well.”

“Yes, milord,” Shuuhei says.

“Do you have the directions to her house?”

“Of course.”

As he gives directions to Unohana Retsu’s house, he observes his lord for a moment.

Kuchiki-dono is thoughtfully observing Abarai out in the courtyard, who is vigorously practicing his swordsmanship skills. The corners of his mouth seem to turn up ever-so-slightly for a brief moment at this sight.

Shuuhei folds his arms across his chest, lowering his voice as he speaks again.

“He really wants your approval, you know?” he points out quietly.

A thoughtful look crosses Kuchiki-dono’s face. “It seems like it,” he agrees.

However, that expression quickly disappears. “I will try and train with him soon enough.” Now, he looks more worried. “But with my strength, I fear that I might end up hurting Abarai much too severely.”

Shuuhei sighs quietly. Of course he’s worried about that. And it’s not like such worries are unfounded. The difference in strength between Kuchiki-dono and Abarai is quite large, seeing as the former is a demon from a powerful clan.

But Abarai doesn’t seem like someone to be majorly impacted by this difference in strength. And besides, he’s quite strong as well. If he can hold himself against Shuuhei, a fairly strong demon, then there’s no reason he can’t hold himself against Kuchiki-dono.

“Abarai is a strong man,” Shuuhei reminds him. “I’m sure there’s no need to worry about hurting him.”

Kuchiki-dono simply nods. “I’ll keep that in mind,” he says.

He then turns to head to the stables. “I shall be departing now,” he says.

“When will you be back?” Shuuhei asks.

“Well before dawn,” Kuchiki-dono says. “Again, make sure that Abarai doesn’t go to the forest after sunset. He doesn’t need to witness my private training.”

“Yes, milord.”

* * *

“Do not worry now,” Retsu says gently, applying a healing salve onto a vicious gash on her patient’s left arm. “Your arm will take some time to heal, but this herbal salve will alleviate any pain and discomfort you feel.”

Her patient smiles gratefully. “Thank you so much, Unohana-san,” he whispers weakly, lying back on his futon. “You truly are a goddess.”

Retsu smiles softly as she slings her azusa yumi over her shoulder and picks up her gehobako box before rising to her feet. “You humble me too much,” she says. “I’m not a goddess. I’m just a miko who heals people.” She bows slightly to the other occupants of the house. “Have a good night.”

With that, she exits the house.

Outside, two people are waiting for her. The first one is the village elder, Sasakibe Chojiro. Also with him is Zaraki Kenpachi, the village hunter and Retsu’s lover.

Smiling gently, she bows in greeting. “Good evening, both of you,” she says. “Were you waiting too long?”

“Not very long,” Sasakibe says, looking rather serious as they walk away from the house. “However, I’d like to discuss your latest visit into the forest today.”

Retsu nods. “Of course,” she says.

“What kind of dark force did you detect when you were in there?” Sasakibe asks her.

A chill runs down Retsu’s spine as she glances at the forest, which looks much darker and foreboding in the night.

“Whatever is in there… it’s pure evil,” she says quietly. “The phantom killer has left traces of its dark force in many parts of the forest, including the places where the victims have been killed. But I don’t know what exactly it could be.”

She’s seen the bodies of the victims before, all of them mauled and eviscerated to horrific levels. Retsu had briefly considered the killer to be a wild animal, but the dark force she’d sensed from the various injuries on each corpse makes it highly unlikely.

A quiet sigh spills from her lips. “All I know is that the forest must be purified,” she says. “In the meantime, Sasakibe-san, all we can do is increase our security measures and make the curfew laws stricter than ever.” She regards him firmly. “We _cannot_ let another soul go into that forest after dark. No, we cannot let them go alone into the forest anymore.”

Sasakibe nods in agreement. “You are right, Unohana-san,” he says. “I will relay this to everyone tomorrow. In the meantime, you are free to go for the night.”

“Thank you.”

Retsu watches as Sasakibe heads back to his own house for the night. By now, the darkness of night is slowly approaching as the sun sets further down the horizon, and nearly every single villager has returned to their home. Those who haven’t are quickly hurrying home, and the night watchmen are coming to take over in guard duty.

_I should return home for the night._

Remembering Kenpachi’s presence, Retsu turns to face him with a smile. “Shouldn’t you be going home as well, Kenpachi?” she asks.

Zaraki Kenpachi is a giant of a man with a figure that towers over just about everyone in the village. With long and wild black hair, fierce and hardened eyes, and scars all over him, he is quite an intimidating fellow. It certainly doesn’t help that his smiles are quite vicious as well.

However, he always softens up towards Retsu, whether it’s in public or whether they are both alone together. It’s utterly charming, in all honesty.

Even now, he’s no different towards her.

“I will,” Kenpachi says, his voice a tad gentler than usual. “Would you like me to accompany you, Unohana-san?”

“That sounds rather nice,” Retsu says, still smiling. “But there’s no need to call me ‘Unohana-san’. We are a lot closer than that, remember?”

Kenpachi blinks, then averts his eyes in embarrassment. “R-Right…” he mumbles.

The walk back to the house is silent for the most part, save for the cicadas and other nightlife all around them, and Retsu lets her thoughts wander to none other than Abarai Renji himself.

At that thought, she sighs sadly as her heart aches just a tad.

_Renji… I hope you are doing well right now._

She’d be lying if she says that she didn’t miss him. Ever since her own son had died along with her husband, Retsu has come to regard Renji as if he were her own child. She’d missed him quite a bit during his absence while he was off serving other daimyo, and him being in the Senbonzakura Castle is no different, either.

“Are you alright?” Kenpachi’s voice interrupts her thoughts.

Retsu just regards him with a smile. “I’m fine, Kenpachi,” she reassures him. “But you know, you didn’t have to escort me home like this.”

Kenpachi just averts his eyes again. “Well, it’s better for us to keep together these days, you know?” he points out gruffly. “There is safety in numbers, after all.”

“A fair point,” Retsu concedes serenely, just as they arrive at her house.

She turns to face him fully and bows in gratitude. “Thank you for your company, Kenpachi,” she says. “I truly appreciate it.”

“You’re welcome,” Kenpachi responds, tenderly caressing Retsu’s cheek for a moment. “Sleep well.”

“Likewise.”

As Kenpachi departs back to his own home, Retsu turns and enters the house, sliding the door shut behind her.

Setting down her box and azusa yumi, she lights up some candles. The sun has already set, and now she needs to find her way through the dark house so she can get ready for bed.

Fatigue settles deep into her bones, and her movements slow down a little. She’s been feeling more tired these days, no thanks to the sudden increase in the dark force. Her spiritual detection has been on high alert this past while, and since it uses up quite a bit of her energy, it’s really no wonder she’s feeling exhausted.

Why this increase in dark force is so disturbing, she has no idea. But either way, it’s certainly not a very good feeling, and these mysterious killings do nothing to help the situation.

Retsu moves her hands to the white ribbon in her hair, ready to undo it when a sudden and sharp knock at the door makes her startle.

Frowning slightly, she rises to her feet and approaches the door. Could it be Sasakibe or Kenpachi? Granted, they’re most likely not going to be outside after dark right now, but it makes the most sense for it to be either of them.

But when Retsu slides the door open, she finds herself stepping back, completely unprepared for the new visitor.

On the other side, a tall and lithe man with pale skin, a youthful face, and inky-black hair in a high ponytail stands outside. His cool gray eyes regard her with an imperious air that marks him as nobility, if his kimono and haori didn’t give him away as such already.

Not too far behind him, two servants stand with large bags in their hands.

But as Retsu turns her attention back to the visitor, her skin prickles as she senses a strangely-powerful dark force that seems to emanate from him.

_This is… It’s similar to what I’d sensed in the forest._

“May we come in?” the visitor asks in a cool baritone voice. “I do not have much time to waste right now.”

Retsu frowns slightly, stepping aside. “Yes, you may come in,” she says.

She keeps her eyes on the visitor as he steps inside, watching as he looks around the room for a moment. The man is quite elegant and graceful, but Retsu will not let herself be treated as unworthy, just because he’s a noble.

“What are you here for?” she asks firmly. “I’m quite tired, and I highly suggest you do not stay here too long.”

The man turns to her. “I’ve come here with my servants to deliver the payment of rice to compensate for Abarai Renji’s absence while he serves me,” he says, gesturing to the servants.

Retsu raises her eyebrows in surprise as she watches the servants set down the large bags of rice upon the floor.

_Wait a minute… who is this man?_

“You mean with Lord Kuchiki?” she asks.

The man raises an eyebrow. “No,” he says. “He’s residing with me. I am Kuchiki Byakuya, the current head of the Kuchiki Clan.”

Retsu’s eyes widen in surprise, and that’s when she notices the _mon_ on his haori. _This_ is the current daimyo that Renji is serving right now? But he looks so young!

 _“You_ are the current daimyo of this land?” she asks incredulously. 

“Does it surprise you that much?” the young lord asks.

“Yes, I thought you were much older!” Retsu tells him.

Kuchiki Byakuya looks mildly offended. “My father died quite young, mind you,” he snaps. “Besides, I’m not that old.”

Retsu bites her lip to suppress a smile. Something about the indignation in his voice is quite amusing, seeing as he’s not doing a good job in hiding it. For all his cool elegance he displays, he seems to be quite a spirited man on the inside.

“You’re right, Kuchiki-sama,” she says with a sly smile. “In fact, you look much too young to be a daimyo.”

Somehow, Kuchiki-sama looks even more offended at that.

“Excuse me?” he says incredulously. “I’m only twenty-four, and I think that’s old enough, thank you very much.”

Retsu can’t stop herself from chuckling. Well, isn’t he quite easy to tease?

Kuchiki-sama sighs in exasperation. “I thought you miko were supposed to be more serious than this,” he mutters.

“Yes, I am a miko,” Retsu agrees, all good humour vanishing as she regards him firmly once more. “However, I am also a mother, and I’ll always look out for my children.”

She folds her arms across her chest. “With that being said, I do hope there isn’t another campaign coming up, Kuchiki-sama,” she says sternly.

Kuchiki-sama hesitates at that, but nods slowly.

“If there is, I won’t be able to stop it from happening,” he says. “And besides, Abarai Renji seems like someone who won’t back down from a challenge.”

 _That is true._ Retsu agrees silently. If there’s one thing about Renji she’s always admired, it’s how he always holds himself strong in the face of adversity.

“Well, we must be on our way now,” Kuchiki-sama tells her, turning to the door. “The other portion of the payment will be here next week. I thank you for your time, Unohana-san.”

Retsu nods. “Have a safe journey, Kuchiki-sama,” she says, watching as the young lord and his servants exit the house.

As the door slides shut, she lets out a long sigh as all tension dissipates from her shoulders. Undoing the ribbon in her hair, Retsu makes her way to her futon and changes into a plain yukata.

_It seems I need to do another inspection in the forest tomorrow._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some notes:
> 
> \- A shinai is a sword made of bamboo, typically used for practice. What makes it different from a bokken, or wooden sword, is that it's made of light, soft wood, and it's much less dangerous than a bokken, which can cause injuries even during practice.
> 
> \- A "mon" is an emblem used to decorate and identify a particular family. It's similar to a Western-style crest or coat-of-arms.
> 
> \- An azusa yumi is a sacred bow used by the miko, or Shinto shrine maidens. Likewise, the gehobako is a box that contains various artifacts used by miko in Shinto ceremonies. 
> 
> I also forgot to mention this: the main influence for the titular castle is the Himeji Castle, the most famous Japanese castle to exist, and which dates all the way back to 1333.
> 
> Please let me know how I did, and have a good one!


	5. Tenderness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Renji spars with Byakuya for the first time. Meanwhile, Byakuya finds himself changing in behaviour towards Renji.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's Chapter 5. This one turned out to be shorter than I expected, but I enjoyed writing this, since we'll be seeing our boys being adorable here.
> 
> I hope you all enjoy!

Several days have passed, and it has been half a month since Renji has become the personal warrior for Kuchiki-dono. So far, in spite of the strange dark force that emanates from practically everyone in the castle, things have been going alright for the most part.

Renji wakes up at an early hour, even earlier than normal. In fact, the sun has barely begun its ascension into the sky. However, his mind has been preoccupied with a lot of thoughts; namely, the praise he’d received from Kuchiki-dono several days ago.

It’s truly an honour to be praised by him, especially since he’s quite strong. Though he’s not sure why such praise is making him feel so thrilled and excited. It’s not like Renji hasn’t been praised by his previous lords, so why is it that he feels this strange warmth from being acknowledged by Kuchiki-dono?

Thinking of Kuchiki-dono brings training back to his mind, and Renji finds himself wondering just how he trains.

The stray thought brings quite the image to his mind of what Kuchiki-dono looks like when he trains. He imagines his lord outside in the humid summer heat, wearing only a pair of hakama, his keikogi discarded to reveal a pale and well-defined torso, sweat sliding down his temples and making his hair cling to his stoic, flushed face…

Renji’s eyes widen in shock at his thoughts, and his cheeks heat up rapidly as he sits upright in his futon.

_What the hell is wrong with me?_

Never before has he had such intimate and scandalous thoughts about anyone like this. It’s not like he hasn’t had lovers before, but Renji has never imagined something so tempting about someone of a higher rank until now.

Trying to distract himself from these thoughts, he quickly gets out of bed and begins getting ready for the day. There’s only one thing he can do to distract himself from these indecent thoughts: sword practice.

With that, he changes into his keikogi and hakama, ties his hair up, slips on his tabi and waraji, then grabs his bokken before heading towards the courtyard for some training.

As he heads to the courtyard, the sky slowly begins to lighten as dawn gradually approaches. The whole castle complex is silent and still, and Renji can’t help but appreciate the beauty of the mountainous landscape around him.

However, when he enters the courtyard, Renji stops in his tracks as his eyes land upon Kuchiki-dono, dressed in a white keikogi and forest-green hakama, practicing his own bokken skills beneath the early morning light.

 _Looks like he had the same idea as me…_ Renji thinks to himself.

For a moment, he is struck by the sight of Kuchiki-dono training vigorously, and his cheeks heat up as he observes every detail before him. The sleeves of Kuchiki-dono’s keikogi are held up by a tasuki rope, showing off pale, strong, well-toned arms, and a bead of sweat slides down his temple as he concentrates on his sword strikes.

But even more, he is absolutely graceful in his movements. And at the same time, there’s an underlying power in each strike of his bokken, making it clear that he’s quite a formidable fighter.

_He truly is peerless, isn’t he?_

Right then, as if on cue, Kuchiki-dono pauses his movements and turns to look at Renji in mild surprise.

Renji bows in greeting. “Good morning, Kuchiki-dono,” he says, standing upright.

“It’s quite early, Abarai,” Kuchiki-dono says, wiping the sheen of sweat off his forehead. “What are you doing here?”

“Well, it’s a pleasant morning, so I thought it would be good to do some training of my own,” Renji responds.

Kuchiki-dono nods. “I see,” he says. “Well, you are free to join me, Abarai. But keep in mind that we’ll just be doing some basic swordsmanship practice.”

Did he hear this right? Did Kuchiki-dono just invite him to train alongside him?

Trying not to look too excited, Renji nods eagerly. “O-Of course! It’s an honour, milord!” he says, entering the courtyard proper.

Strangely, the corners of Kuchiki-dono’s lips twitch slightly at his response, and his eyes seem to hold a glint of good humour within them.

Ignoring the strange warmth that spreads within him, Renji just grips his bokken firmly as he starts practicing his sword strikes, while Kuchiki-dono just resumes his own training.

After a while of practicing his techniques and sword swings and strikes, Renji feels Kuchiki-dono’s eyes upon him, and he glances over to see his lord observing him like how he had done several days ago.

Before he can question further, Kuchiki-dono approaches him.

“Your grip on the bokken is too tight,” he tells him. “If you keep holding it this tightly, your hands will bleed.”

Renji blinks as he looks down at his bokken, relaxing his grip a little bit, then glances back at Kuchiki-dono, who nods in approval.

“Like that,” Kuchiki-dono says. “Now then, your posture is fine for the most part but you’re too stiff. You won’t be able to move properly if you’re this stiff in battle.”

Nodding, Renji slowly relaxes his muscles, letting out a sigh. He hadn’t even realized that he’d been holding himself so stiffly…

“Th-Thank you, milord,” he says sincerely.

Kuchiki-dono just regards him curiously. “This is certainly a sharp contrast to your fine skill and technique the other day,” he observes. “What exactly happened, Abarai?”

“I… I don’t know,” Renji admits, breaking his stance.

Why is he feeling nervous about training in front of Kuchiki-dono? Besides, Kuchiki-dono doesn’t seem to be judging him for his sudden slip-up, so he shouldn’t be feeling like this.

_First those indecent thoughts and now this… what is wrong with me?_

Trying to change the subject, he looks back at Kuchiki-dono.

“You are quite skilled, milord,” he praises him sincerely. “I’ve never seen anything like it before.”

“You flatter me, Abarai,” Kuchiki-dono says, averting his eyes. “It helps to brush up on my swordsmanship in preparation for the upcoming campaign against the Ginjo Clan.”

_Right. That makes sense._

However, Renji can’t help but feel a little curious about the enmity between the Kuchiki Clan and the Ginjo Clan. He doesn’t know much about the history between them, but judging from how Kuchiki-dono’s face darkens at the mention of the latter, it seems to be pretty serious.

“May I ask you something, Kuchiki-dono?” Renji asks, continuing when he receives a nod in response. “What exactly is the history between the Kuchiki Clan and the Ginjo Clan?”

Kuchiki-dono seems to hesitate slightly as his demeanor becomes more grim. Nevertheless, he answers.

“The Ginjo Clan has been the enemy of the Kuchiki Clan since time immemorial,” Kuchiki-dono says. “There have been many disputes between us, but the circumstances of the feud are much too complicated for you to understand. All you need to know is that the Ginjo Clan is absolutely merciless.”

Renji just nods in acceptance. Even if Kuchiki-dono cannot explain things right now, he’ll just try and learn more later on.

By now, the sun is starting to rise from the horizon, making the sky lighter than before. As if noticing this, Kuchiki-dono glances at the sky, then back at Renji.

“I think it’s time for us to eat something,” he says. “We’ll need energy for today.”

“You’re right, milord.”

With a bow and a word of gratitude, Renji turns to leave the courtyard.

“Abarai.”

Renji stops in his tracks, glancing back. “Yes?”

Kuchiki-dono just regards him with that same mysterious glint in his eyes. “I look forward to training with you today,” he tells him.

It takes a moment for the words to register in Renji’s mind, but a smile quickly crosses his face as he realizes that Kuchiki-dono isn’t lying.

_Finally… We’re finally gonna train together!_

“It’s an honour, Kuchiki-dono!” he says, unable to hide his excitement. “I look forward to it as well!”

With that, he turns and exits the courtyard, his heart racing in excitement as he heads down to the mess hall for breakfast.

* * *

Byakuya spends the next couple of hours having a talk with Rukia, namely about his upcoming training with Abarai. Rukia seems pleased that he’s willing to train with him at last, and even wishes him the best of luck for today. Eventually, when the sun is further up from the horizon, he retrieves his bokken and leaves the study with a word of goodbye to his younger sister.

Strangely enough, he actually looks forward to today’s training, and he hasn’t felt this excited in such a long time. Why he feels like this, he’s not too sure. Yet it’s not exactly a bad feeling.

When Byakuya returns to the same training courtyard, he’s pleasantly surprised to see Abarai already outside and waiting for him. He looks very alert and eager to get started, and Byakuya can’t help but soften just a tad.

Yet that momentary softness is all too brief, and he quickly composes himself as he greets him.

“It’s good to see that you are punctual, Abarai,” Byakuya tells him, stepping down into the training space. “I hope you are ready to begin.”

“Of course I am, Kuchiki-dono!” A wolfish grin crosses Abarai’s face, and something about it makes his heart flutter a little.

Byakuya nods. “Excellent,” he says, flourishing his bokken and getting into his fighting stance. “On my count.”

Abarai brandishes his own bokken and gets into a defensive stance.

_One… two…_

“Three.”

Immediately, Abarai slashes his bokken upwards towards Byakuya, only for the latter to swiftly block his strike and push him back a little. As Abarai tries to regain his footing, Byakuya takes the opportunity to attack, moving quickly and expertly, but holding back on his true, demonic strength.

This time, Abarai is prepared, and he swiftly parries the blow with the same wolfish smile. Then, he attacks again with all the ferocity of a wild animal.

As the sparring continues, Byakuya takes the time to observe Abarai’s style of fighting that sharply contrasts his own elegant style.

Just as Hisagi had said, Abarai is quite strong for a human. He’s fast, his timing is excellent, his strength is impressive, and the way he fights is so spirited and passionate, unlike anything that Byakuya has ever seen before. 

And with that wild grin on his face, Abarai Renji is truly a formidable warrior. It’s no wonder he’s earned himself the nickname ‘the Okami of Izu’; he’s certainly as fierce as a wolf, and there’s still so much potential in him.

If he’s this fierce with a bokken, Byakuya can only imagine just what he must be like in battle with a real katana. In fact, for the first time in his two-hundred-forty years of living, Byakuya is actually… _enjoying_ himself.

However, not even Abarai’s strength and power can outmatch Byakuya’s years of training. Besides, strength and power can only last for so long against sheer lethal elegance.

Ultimately, Byakuya gains the upper hand in the duel, ending it swiftly with a slash of his bokken when Abarai attempts to land a blow on him. However, the force of the slash is so strong, the wooden blade actually tears through Abarai’s keikogi and slashes the surface of his upper torso.

Byakuya’s eyes widen in shock as Abarai curses loudly and grasps the bleeding wound. 

_Oh no…_

He hadn’t meant to do that at all.

Much to his surprise, Abarai just grins weakly, gritting his teeth against the pain. “Damn… you got me good, Kuchiki-dono…” he tells him. “You’re pretty strong.”

“That was a mistake,” Byakuya says hurriedly, tucking his bokken into his obi as he rushes over to him. “I never meant to injure you.”

“Don’t blame yourself, milord…” Abarai hisses slightly. “I’ve had worse injuries than this.”

 _What the hell is he talking about?_ Byakuya thinks incredulously. Clearly he’s in pain right now, so how can he be trying to downplay it?

“Come with me,” Byakuya orders firmly, helping him up. “We need to treat your wound immediately.”

Before Abarai can say anything, Byakuya just leads him towards his study, ordering Hinamori to bring some bandages and healing supplies on his way there. As soon as they reach the study, he has Abarai sit upon the tatami mat right as Hinamori enters with the healing supplies.

“Here they are, Kuchiki-sama,” she says, taking her leave.

Byakuya quickly undoes the ties on Abarai’s torn and blood-stained keikogi, and almost immediately, his senses are overwhelmed by that tempting scent that emanates from him. Woodsy, sharp, and laced with a faint sweetness, it’s enough to make Byakuya’s go dry.

As he slides the keikogi off his shoulders, Byakuya’s fingers brush against Abarai’s firm muscles, particularly over the tattoos that stand out against his lightly-bronzed skin.

His body… it’s truly magnificent.

Retrieving a cloth, Byakuya gingerly wipes the injury clean, making Abarai wince slightly.

A sigh spills from his lips as he analyzes the gash on Abarai’s upper left torso. It doesn’t look too deep, but it doesn’t help the way his heart aches slightly.

“It doesn’t hurt, milord…” Abarai tries to reassure him.

Byakuya just frowns at him. “Don’t lie to me,” he says firmly. “I’m not that gullible.”

He hates seeing him in pain. Even though Abarai is only a human, Byakuya can’t stand to see him hurt. And to be the reason why he’s in pain… it’s unbearable.

Byakuya has always had difficulty in controlling his demonic powers and strength. Ever since he was a child, he’s struggled with control over those parts of him. While he’s managed to get his powers under control for the most part, it’s his demonic strength that has been the most difficult to control for him.

Every single time he thinks he’s gotten his strength under control, something like this happens. Abarai may be a strong warrior, but he’s only human. Byakuya knows that he can easily kill him with his strength if he’s not careful enough, and he hates it.

Silence hangs in the study as Byakuya applies a healing salve over the wound. As he starts to bandage it, he looks up at Abarai.

“You did well, Abarai,” he praises him sincerely. “Your skills are certainly impressive.”

Abarai looks a little surprised, but a smile tentatively crosses his lips.

“You humble me,” he says sincerely. “You’re also a good fighter, Kuchiki-dono. I enjoyed sparring with you, and I hope we can do it again in the future.”

For him to want to continue sparring against him, even after receiving such an injury… he is truly a forgiving man, isn’t he?

Byakuya just nods in response, a pleasant warmth spreading through him.

“I hope so too, Abarai,” he says, his voice softer and warmer than usual.

This doesn’t go unnoticed by Abarai, whose cheeks seem to become a bit redder than usual. Something about this is so innocently charming, and Byakuya can’t help the way his heart beats a little faster against his chest.

* * *

The softer tone in Kuchiki-dono’s voice doesn’t go unnoticed by the trio lingering outside the shoji doors of the study, where they watch the scene inside from around the corner of the doorway. Rukia-sama watches with a knowing smile on her face, while Hisagi watches them calmly.

Momo can’t help the way her heart beats faster from the scene in the study. Seeing her lord interact with Abarai like this, hearing the concern in his voice as he speaks to him… it’s truly very sweet.

“Look at those two…” she says quietly, a smile on her face. “I leave them alone for barely a minute and they’re already bonding with each other.”

“That’s good, though,” Hisagi says. “Kuchiki-dono is finally willing to train with Abarai.”

“Indeed, it is a good thing,” Rukia-sama agrees, smiling fondly. “It’s truly amazing. Abarai-kun is able to get through to Nii-sama in a shorter time span than I’ve ever been able to in my whole life.”

“Not since Hisana-sama has the castle been this… lighter,” Momo adds.

In fact, Momo can already see the changes in her lord’s behaviour.

Kuchiki-dono seems to be softening towards Abarai, and she hasn’t seen him acting this gently towards anyone since Hisana-sama. No, that’s incorrect.

It’s not like Kuchiki-dono hasn’t shown this much warmth and tenderness towards anyone. He’s been gentle towards Momo, and he’s shown the same kind of warmth to Rukia-sama, but he tends to push them away out of concern for their safety.

And ever since Hisana-sama’s tragic death, Kuchiki-dono has really kept his distance from them both to avoid putting them in danger from being in his presence.

Yet it’s completely different with Abarai. Kuchiki-dono isn’t acting curt or disdainful; he’s actually treating him with courtesy and respect. And beneath that courtesy, there’s that underlying warmth towards him as well.

“Do you think they might become good friends?” Hisagi asks.

Momo just smiles. “I hope they do,” she admits. “I think Kuchiki-dono needs someone like Abarai as a friend.”

At the same time, Momo can’t help but wonder if her lord has any kind of feelings that go beyond friendship with Abarai.

If he does, it would make her truly happy. Even after how Kuchiki-dono had hurt her back then, she still cares about him, and his happiness would make her equally happy.

“Come,” Hisagi says at last. “Let’s leave them alone for now. I think he’ll be alright.”

Momo nods, and both she and Rukia-sama follow Hisagi away from the study. For once, it feels safe to leave Kuchiki-dono alone with Abarai.

* * *

Renji sits in the shade upon the engawa porch, strumming a simple folk melody upon his gottan. Several hours have passed since his sparring with Kuchiki-dono, and the sun is already high up in the sky. As he plays, his mind wanders to the many things that have happened today, namely, what happened after sparring.

He cannot stop thinking about how Kuchiki-dono had actually taken care of the wound he’d received from him, especially the tenderness he’d shown while healing him.

Why did Kuchiki-dono act so gently towards him? Renji isn’t exactly someone remarkable; he’s only a humble soldier. Surely the injury shouldn’t warrant such softness towards himself?

Even so, he’d be lying if he were to say that he didn’t like how Kuchiki-dono had shown him such courtesy and warmth.

The sound of approaching footsteps interrupts his thoughts, and Renji stops playing right in time to see Kuchiki-dono coming around the corner, dressed in a forest-green kimono and hakama.

“Kuchiki-dono,” Renji greets him, watching as he takes a seat right next to him.

“Do not mind me, Abarai,” Kuchiki-dono tells him. “You can keep on playing.”

However, Renji cannot bring himself to continue playing. Is his lord’s presence too intimidating for him to keep playing?

“I… I can’t…” he admits shamefully, setting his gottan aside.

Fortunately, Kuchiki-dono doesn’t take it badly. “That is alright,” he reassures him. “I just wanted to sit here for a while.”

Renji just nods slowly.

“How is your injury?” Kuchiki-dono asks him. “Is it feeling better?”

“It is,” Renji says with a reassuring smile.

_Why is he so concerned over me? Not even my previous lords were like this…_

Kuchiki-dono stares out at the mountains, looking much more melancholic now. Then, as if reading Renji’s mind, he answers.

“I’ve been lonely for as long as I can remember,” he says. “Even though I was married, it was short-lived, and while I had the company of Rukia and Hisagi, I still felt so dreadfully alone.”

A ghost of a smile flickers across his face before he continues. “When I sparred with you today, it was the first time I enjoyed myself in such a long time,” he says. “I didn’t feel as lonely.”

Renji just regards him in stunned surprise.

For Kuchiki-dono to confess something this personal to him… could it be that he somehow trusts him?

Yet at the same time, he feels so flattered at the thought that Kuchiki-dono trusts him enough to share this with him.

At last, a smile crosses his face.

“I thank you for sharing this with me, milord,” he says sincerely. “I also enjoyed sparring with you. And please do not feel sorry for injuring me; you shouldn’t have to.”

Kuchiki-dono looks at him in mild surprise, but his eyes soften a bit as he nods in response.

“Thank you, Abarai,” he says gently.

Looking at his lord right now, Renji knows that whatever he feels for him has gotten a bit stronger now.

In spite of the darkness he seems to radiate, Renji has become much more enticed by Kuchiki Byakuya than ever before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And with that, this chapter is finished. Honestly, our boys are so cute here, and I really enjoyed writing the interactions between them.
> 
> Please let me know how I did, and have a good one!


	6. Vulnerability

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Renji learns about Byakuya's late wife, and cares for him when he's afflicted by a migraine. That night, Retsu receives a strange visitor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's Chapter 6! Again, we get some more sweetness between Renji and Byakuya, but things will become a bit spooky later on; rather fitting, since Halloween is coming up.
> 
> I hope you all enjoy!

It’s truly interesting how quiet a forest can be in the afternoon.

Despite the summer heat that permeates the air, the thick foliage of the trees provides a nice shade from the sun’s glare. And with most of the fauna not very active during this time, it’s the perfect place for some outdoor training and sparring.

Kuchiki-dono had been the one to suggest training in the forest, saying that it’s important to be prepared in case Renji ends up in a fight in rough terrain like the woods.

For the most part, training goes by well. Kuchiki-dono proves himself to be a formidable opponent even beneath the shade of the trees, and something about the way he fights suggests that he’s even used to fighting in rough terrain like this.

However, Renji can’t help how distracted he is by the presence of dark force through the whole forest. 

It’s a little different from the one that Kuchiki-dono has, but there’s no doubt as to how strong it is. This must’ve been what Unohana has been detecting for so long now.

Whatever has been lurking here… could it be the phantom killer?

“You are distracted, Abarai. Why is that?”

Kuchiki-dono’s voice interrupts Renji’s thoughts, and he quickly turns to see his lord regarding him with mild disapproval in his eyes.

Something about such disapproval makes Renji wince slightly, and he averts his eyes in embarrassment. “Forgive me, Kuchiki-dono,” he says.

How can he explain why he’s so distracted? There’s no way Kuchiki-dono will believe him if he tells him his reasoning, will he?

Kuchiki-dono glances around the forest as he lowers his bokken, then looks back at Renji. “You can sense it, can you?” he asks. “The dark force that lingers through the whole forest.”

_Wait, what?_

Renji looks back at him in surprise. _He can sense it too?_

“I’ve been able to sense otherworldly phenomena since I was a child,” Kuchiki-dono continues. “I can sense dark force within other humans, as well as spiritual activity that happens all around us.”

“I never knew that…” Renji murmurs thoughtfully. “I also have the same ability, and so does Unohana-san.” He frowns. “In fact, I’ve been sensing a dark force throughout the whole of Senbonzakura Castle as well.”

Could it be that the other castle residents have the same kind of ability as him?

Again, Kuchiki-dono looks a bit perturbed at that, then hesitantly evades the question.

“All humans have a bit of dark force within them, whether they’re aware of it or not,” he explains at last. “Only a select few people have the ability to detect that dark force and all the spiritual phenomena around us. In fact… my late wife used to have that ability as well.”

A melancholic expression crosses his face, and he sighs softly, sounding almost… regretful.

 _What happened to his wife?_ Renji wonders sadly, his heart aching a tad from how mournful Kuchiki-dono looks. _Why does he look so regretful when he speaks about her?_

Right then, Kuchiki-dono quickly composes himself and heads back to his horse.

“Our forest training is done for today, Abarai,” he says. “We shall return to the castle now.”

“Of course, milord,” Renji agrees, approaching his own horse.

The ride back to the castle is silent for the most part, and as Renji follows Kuchiki-dono on horseback, he can’t stop thinking about the sadness that radiates from his lord.

It doesn’t take long for them to reach the castle, and the stablehands greet them to take their horses back to the stables. Shortly after the horses are led away, that’s when Renji notices Hinamori approaching them both, bowing in greeting as she stops.

“Welcome back,” she greets them. “Abarai-san, Rukia-sama has invited you to meet her in the gardens. I hope you will accept her invitation.”

Renji glances at Kuchiki-dono, who nods in approval.

“You can spend some time with my sister, Abarai,” he says. “If she wants you to meet with her, then you should honour her request.”

“Very well, milord,” Renji acquiesces. 

With a nod, Kuchiki-dono begins to head towards the main keep. “I have some important personal things to take care of,” he says. “So enjoy your time with Rukia.”

As Kuchiki-dono departs, Renji follows Hinamori to one of the many vast gardens of the Senbonzakura Castle.

The particular garden he’s led to is quite an impressive one as well. A large stream snakes through the garden, with lotus flowers blooming upon the surface of the calm waters. Carefully-trimmed trees frame the afternoon sky, and koi fish swim peacefully in the pond that the stream connects to. Over the stream, a bridge connects to the other side of the garden, where a willow tree rests close to the water’s surface, and beneath the branches of the willow, Rukia-sama sits in perfect seiza, wearing a light-blue kimono with hydrangea motifs upon the silk.

Apart from the hollow ‘thunk’ of a shishi-odoshi and the buzz of cicadas in the distance, the whole place is so peaceful and relaxing; truly a welcome change in atmosphere after intense training in the forest.

It’s as Renji crosses the bridge that Rukia-sama takes notice of him, and she turns to him with a serene smile.

“Come, sit,” she invites. “How did training with Nii-sama go?”

“It went well,” Renji says, sitting down cross-legged next to her.

Looking around the garden again, he glances back at Rukia-sama. “The castle gardens are quite spectacular,” he praises. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Rukia-sama just smiles in response. “I’m glad you like them,” she says softly. “Nii-sama’s late wife also loved to spend time in the gardens when she had been alive.”

And there it is again: that mention of Kuchiki-dono’s late wife.

Renji recalls how melancholic Kuchiki-dono had looked when he’d mentioned her during training, and this only piques his curiosity even more, especially when he sees how rueful Rukia-sama appears at the mention of her.

“Did… Did I upset you?” he asks tentatively.

Rukia-sama shakes her head slightly. “No, not at all,” she says. “The subject of the late Kuchiki Hisana is a very sensitive one, though.”

She stares off into the distance as she starts to tell the story.

“Hisana-sama was originally a peasant woman from this Province,” Rukia-sama begins. “Nii-sama had first met her five years ago, when he had been on a campaign with our grandfather in the region, and he saved her life from an enemy samurai. He had gotten injured in the process, and Hisana-sama had nursed him back to health to show her gratitude.”

A faint smile crosses Rukia-sama’s face. “I know it might be hard to believe, but Nii-sama used to be rather spirited when he was younger, almost like you, Abarai-san,” she chuckles. “That was probably why he’d jumped in to save her without a second thought.”

 _He used to be like me?_

Somehow, that very thought makes Renji blush a little bit.

“Anyways,” Rukia-sama continues, “Nii-sama had been smitten with her almost instantly. Despite it being forbidden for nobles to marry peasants, he defied the rules and brought Hisana-sama back here so he could begin courting her.”

“Is that so?” Renji says, impressed. “She must’ve been quite an impressive woman for him to break the rules like that.”

“Indeed, she was.”

Right then, Hisagi and Hinamori approach them both, also settling down on the ground beneath the willow tree.

“We also knew her quite well,” Hinamori says ruefully. “When Hisana-sama had been alive, the whole castle had been a bit brighter. Kuchiki-dono courted her for a year, and he had never been happier than he was back then.”

Hisagi nods somberly. “What made Hisana-sama so remarkable was that she never became arrogant after earning Kuchiki-dono’s affections,” he recalls. “She befriended Hinamori and myself, and she and Rukia-sama became close friends as well.”

“Indeed, she was like an older sister to me,” Rukia-sama remembers. “And she even brought out a softer side in Nii-sama. That’s how important she was to him.”

It’s too bad Renji had never gotten to meet Hisana. She truly sounds like an amazing woman. But what exactly happened to her?

As if reading his mind, Rukia-sama answers.

“They were married for a rather short time,” she says gravely. “Then Hisana-sama was killed in an animal attack two years ago.”

 _An animal attack?_

Renji frowns.

This is the third time he’s heard of an animal attack. Weren’t Hisagi and Hinamori also attacked by animals a while ago? Could this have been the very same attack that had left Hisagi scarred and Hinamori with a limp?

He remains silent about it, opting to continue listening to their story.

“Kuchiki-dono still blames himself for her death even today,” Hisagi says sadly. “It’s why he went on a campaign against the Aizen Clan, not too long after Hisana-sama’s body was cremated.”

By now, Renji’s heart hurts for Kuchiki-dono. There’s no doubt that his wife’s death had changed him permanently, and for him to lose his wife in such a short time, and that too, to a violent animal attack…

God, he can’t imagine the self-blame that must be running through his mind. It’s no wonder he’s so lonely and melancholic all the time.

“Thank you for sharing this with me,” Renji says at last.

Is that why Kuchiki-dono is this gentle and warm towards him? Does he remind him of his younger self?

Whatever it is, all Renji knows is that he has a much better understanding of Kuchiki Byakuya, even more than before.

* * *

Byakuya’s head feels heavy, so damn heavy that it might just explode. His temples throb, sending waves of sharp pain throughout his head as if someone is striking it repeatedly, and no amount of rubbing his temples can alleviate this treacherous migraine.

The moment he’d felt the tell-tale pangs of a migraine, Byakuya had departed from his study, hoping that some fresh air would give him some relief as he returned to his residence. But alas, all it had done was exacerbate the pain, forcing him to take cover beneath the shade of the engawa porch.

 _Damn it all…_ He curses, wincing as he leans back against the wall. He tries to take deep breaths as he closes his eyes, but not even that is enough to help.

This is nothing new to him. Every month, as the full moon draws nearer, Byakuya becomes afflicted with severe migraines that remind him of his need to feed on human blood.

It’s so strange that he experiences this kind of splitting pain. No other demon ever goes through this kind of torture, but then again, no other demon craves human blood on the full moon like him.

No matter what Byakuya has tried, nothing can soothe or alleviate these monthly migraines. Yet he’s normally able to power through them and get things done while putting up with the pain.

This time, however, his migraine is even more severe than his past ones. And it’s no thanks to the presence of a human with such a tempting smell.

This is not good. Byakuya has to investigate the forest tonight, and if this migraine doesn’t go away soon enough, he won’t be able to continue his search.

His ears pick up on approaching footsteps, but Byakuya can’t even turn his head to look.

Moments later, he hears a familiar voice from around the corner.

“K-Kuchiki-dono!” It’s Abarai.

 _Goddammit…_ Byakuya squeezes his eyes shut as he hears him approach, his head ringing from the extra noise.

He can’t believe this. As if being afflicted by this hellish migraine is bad enough, now his personal warrior is seeing him in this pathetic state.

“Are you alright, milord? What happened to you?! Why do you look so pale?!” Abarai demands worriedly.

“Lower your voice, will you?” Byakuya snaps irritably. “I’m having a bit of a migraine right now. There’s no need to worry, though; it always happens when the full moon is near.”

“A _bit_ of a migraine?” Abarai repeats incredulously. “I don’t mean to offend, but it seems like a very bad migraine more than anything.”

Before Byakuya can come up with a coherent retort, he’s suddenly lifted up from the ground into Abarai’s arms, much to his shock.

“Abarai, what are you doing?!” he demands as he’s carried like a damsel into the castle. “Release me, right now!”

“I’m sorry, milord, but you look as though you might collapse,” Abarai tells him. “It’ll be quicker if I carry you inside.”

_How humiliating…_

Byakuya can’t believe this is actually happening. He, a daimyo, has to be carried inside like some frail damsel by a soldier all because of his damn migraine.

Never before has he felt so undignified. However, any shame he feels vanishes immediately when he feels himself being laid down upon a futon in a dark room, then hears the door sliding open and closed again.

A few moments later, Byakuya opens his eyes just in time to see Abarai re-entering the room, a bucket of water, a drinking dish, and a rag in his hands.

He watches as Abarai gently sets the bucket down and kneels beside the futon before dipping the drinking dish into the water.

“Drink, milord,” he coaxes, handing him the dish.

Byakuya sits up slightly, taking the dish and draining the water from it. As soon as he’s finished, Abarai takes it from him, then makes him lie back down. He then soaks the rag in the bucket, wrings out the extra water, then presses it against his forehead.

A sigh of relief spills from Byakuya’s lips at the coolness of the rag. While his head is still hurting, the pain is slowly beginning to lessen.

“I must look quite pathetic to you,” he remarks dryly. “A daimyo almost incapacitated by a migraine… how laughable.”

“Not at all,” Abarai says, much to Byakuya’s surprise.

Byakuya looks up at him, only to see a small smile on Abarai’s face.

“There’s nothing pathetic about suffering from a migraine,” he reassures him, pressing the rag gently against his forehead. “Don’t be so hard on yourself, Kuchiki-dono.”

Closing his eyes, Byakuya allows his soothing words to wash over him and take away a bit of the pain.

The way that Abarai cares for him right now… it reminds him of how Hisana used to care for him during his monthly migraines in the past. Byakuya still remembers her sweet voice soothing him with gentle reassurances as she’d tenderly stroked his hair with her fingers.

Abarai’s voice isn’t as sweet as Hisana’s, but he speaks in a softer, gentler voice that’s quite calming to listen to.

But why is he doing this? Why would he go out of his way to care for his lord like this?

“Why are you caring for me, Abarai?” Byakuya asks, opening his eyes.

Abarai pauses for a moment, then responds.

“I… I don’t like seeing you in pain like this, milord,” he says softly. “I want you to feel better soon enough.”

Satisfied with that response, Byakuya just nods tiredly.

Thanks to Abarai’s close proximity to him, his temptingly woodsy and sweet scent is absolutely overpowering. However, Byakuya is able to keep his instincts under tight control, grateful that it isn’t the full moon… yet.

Despite that, his presence is so calming and tender, and Byakuya just allows himself to close his eyes for a bit.

It’s so strange, how he’s willing to let his personal warrior get this close to him. As a Kuchiki, and as a demon, Byakuya has always been taught that he is above humans, and that he should maintain his honour and dignity in front of others. To let Abarai see him so vulnerable right now is practically unthinkable.

And yet, he truly likes this hushed closeness between them. He hasn’t felt it since Hisana’s death, and he’d almost forgotten how wonderful it had felt.

He doesn’t want to hurt Abarai at all. And with the full moon coming soon, it’ll be a very precarious time for him, not that he’s aware of it. But if Byakuya kills Abarai like how he’d killed Hisana, he may very well commit seppuku.

The very thought of hurting Abarai makes his heart hurt.

As if sensing his sadness, Abarai withdraws his hand, looking at him in concern.

“Is something the matter, milord?” he asks softly. “You look sad.”

Byakuya just shakes his head. “It’s of no concern,” he reassures him. “Please don’t stop what you were doing.”

Abarai nods and gets back to pressing the cloth to his forehead.

Trying not to think about his troubles, Byakuya just closes his eyes and lets himself enjoy Abarai’s care, the migraine gradually beginning to fade.

* * *

A pair of red eyes follow the tall, muscular black-haired figure towards the house at the entrance of the village, impatiently taking in its movements as it heads to its destination.

Night has fallen, and even at this distance, crouched upon a branch and concealed by the foliage, he can make out enough about the villager in question. It’s evident that he’s a man, and judging from his scars and bulky figure, he’s a fighter at heart. But right now, he holds a basket of what looks like green roots.

The predator narrows his eyes slightly as he watches the man knock on the door and wait outside.

He’s been spying on the miko for some time now, knowing that she’s very much aware of his presence. Ever since he’d noticed her around one of his hunting sites in the forest, he’s taken a keen interest in her potential.

If he can abduct her and bring her back to Ginjo-sama, they could retrain her to be loyal to them. And of course, if she refuses, then they can just _drain_ her of all her spiritual powers and dark force.

To combine the powers and dark force of a miko with demonic powers… they will be unstoppable in every battle.

Unfortunately, every single time, his efforts at getting to her have been thwarted by something or the other, and this giant brute of a hunter is one of them. He’s getting tired of waiting for her to emerge, and irritated with this hunter constantly visiting her, and to make matters worse, he’s getting hungry again.

It seems like he’ll have to take matters into his own hands soon.

The predator watches as the door slides open to reveal the miko, who smiles beatifically at the hunter before inviting him in, closing the door behind him.

A snarl spills from his lips as the branch he’d been holding onto snaps.

* * *

“Thank you very much, Kenpachi. This truly means a lot to me.”

Retsu leans up on her tiptoes to plant a kiss on Kenpachi’s scarred left cheek, watching in amusement as he looks down shyly.

“It’s no problem, Retsu,” he mumbles. “How are you feeling today?”

“A little less tired, I suppose,” Retsu says. “How about you stay and have dinner with me? Think of it as my token of gratitude.”

Kenpachi nods. “It sounds good,” he concedes.

With a smile, Retsu goes back to the irori to tend to the rice that’s cooking in the pot. Exhaustion has already settled within her bones, but she pushes through as she watches Kenpachi take a seat next to her.

“You’ve been feeling tired a lot, haven’t you?” Kenpachi asks him. “Why is that?”

Retsu shakes her head slightly. “The dark force in the forest,” she says. “And I feel as though I’m being watched, lately.”

She finishes up with cooking and serves the rice and roots into two bowls. As always, the rice looks very delicious, no thanks to its great quality.

“I’m truly grateful for Kuchiki-sama’s payment,” she says. “This rice is of very good quality.”

Kenpachi looks at her, his eyes a tad softer. “Don’t you miss him?” he asks. “Abarai, I mean.”

Retsu pauses for a moment, her heart aching slightly as she turns away.

“I’m not too worried,” she says. “Besides, Kuchiki-sama seems like a good man. If he decides to keep Renji as a retainer or something, then he’ll have plenty to eat and a nice place to live.”

She can’t keep the sadness out of her voice; not that it would do her any good. Kenpachi has always been able to tell when she’s lying, anyways.

Right then, she feels Kenpachi’s strong arms circling around her from behind, and she leans into his warmth, inhaling his woodsy scent with a sigh.

“I miss him, Kenpachi,” she says quietly. “I’ll be happy if he does well, but I still miss him.”

Kenpachi says nothing, opting to continue holding her instead.

A sudden trace of dark force from outside has Retsu tensing up as she turns to the door and disentangles herself from Kenpachi’s arms.

“Retsu?” Kenpachi says curiously.

“Something is outside,” Retsu says gravely, retrieving her bows and azusa yumi. “Stay here, Kenpachi. I’ll take care of it.”

Lining an arrow to the bow, she cautiously steps outside, her eyes scanning the forest nearby.

The dark force is getting stronger, but strangely enough, she cannot pinpoint just where it’s coming from. Whatever it is, it’s a dangerous presence, one that has to be taken care of sooner than later.

 _Where are you?_ She wonders to herself.

Suddenly, a pair of pale, thin arms encircle her from behind. Retsu heart pounds against her chest, unable to even make a noise, as one of the pale hands reaches up and covers her mouth.

She struggles in the unknown grasp, only to go completely still when she feels a warm breath ghosting against her ear.

“Too easy, miko-san,” a sly voice taunts her.

Retsu barely has much time to contemplate this when she feels sharp teeth biting into her left shoulder.

Her vision begins to blur, and the teeth barely break through her skin when-

“You!” A familiar baritone voice snarls from the distance.

Retsu hears a strangely inhuman snarl as she begins to lose consciousness. The last thing she registers is being released from those pale arms, as well as the sensation of falling.

And then, her vision blacks out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As someone who suffers from migraines periodically, I could feel Byakuya's pain in my soul as I wrote it up. I can only imagine what it would've been like to suffer a migraine during a time when modern medicine wasn't as developed yet. But I also really enjoyed writing Renji taking care of Byakuya, of course!
> 
> Please let me know how I did, and have a good one!


	7. Full Moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Byakuya gets injured in his confrontation, and it couldn't have happened at a more precarious time. And with the full moon arriving, it is crucial that Renji is kept away from the lord's residence.
> 
> But Renji isn't one who likes being left out of the loop, and he is determined to pay his lord a visit. If only it hadn't been a full moon...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is when things get pretty spooky; rather fitting, since today is Halloween. I'll admit, I had some fun in writing up the horror aspects of this chapter.
> 
> I hope you all enjoy!

Shuuhei slowly walks around the complex, his hand on the hilt of Kazeshini, his katana, as he scans his surroundings. The moon shines its silvery light upon the castle complex, and that’s when he notices how it’s nearly full.

Tomorrow will be the full moon. A shudder runs down his spine at the thought, for he knows what will happen to Kuchiki-dono.

Every single month, ever since he was young, the full moon has always been an incredibly precarious time for everyone in the clan. It certainly doesn’t help that Kuchiki-dono is the only known demon who needs human blood during the full moon either.

_ When will he return?  _ Shuuhei wonders, a sigh spilling from his lips. He knows full well that his lord has already suffered the telltale migraine that occurs the night before, and he shouldn’t be pushing himself right now.

And yet, he’s never let migraines get in the way of anything.

In all honesty, no other demon intrigues Shuuhei to the extent that Kuchiki-dono does. He’s not like most other demons, and he can’t help but wonder why that is.

Demons can consume the flesh of both humans and animals, though most of them choose to hunt animals to avoid bringing harm to humans themselves. Even then, there are some sadistic ones who hunt only humans, mainly by draining them of their dark force, even if they have barely a sliver, then consuming their flesh once their own dark force has been replenished.

Animal flesh, on the other hand, keeps demons at the same level as humans. It doesn’t increase or decrease their demonic powers; it just sustains them for a month until they need to hunt again.

Despite that, it’s worth it for the sake of avoiding attention from humans, especially during a time of conflict like this. And like most other demons, Shuuhei derives his nutrients from animal flesh, never from humans.

Kuchiki-dono, on the other hand, cannot consume either human or animal flesh; it’s only their blood that he’s able to consume. Therefore, he chooses to consume animal blood to survive.

So then why does he get that unbearable hunger once a month, one that can only be quenched by human blood? As far as Shuuhei knows, no other demon goes through the same thing.

It’s why they’ve created a very strict routine for the full moon. Kuchiki-dono will lock himself up in his residence, where no one else is allowed to enter. Then, Shuuhei will head out to the mountain pathway outside their territory to look for a lost human to bring to Kuchiki-dono as prey. There’s no way he can go and hunt on his own; if he does, Kuchiki-dono may end up going on a slaughter.

Just what is it that Kuchiki-dono suffers from for him to experience these cravings for human blood? Is it because he’s born into a very high-ranking noble clan?

No one knows the reason why this is, in all honesty. Whatever the reason, this has just marked him as different from other demons, and has really made him feel alone.

A flare of dark force stops Shuuhei in his tracks, and he turns to the source as his skin prickles slightly.

It’s from Kuchiki-dono, and it’s coming from the village.

His eyes widen in surprise as he realizes what his lord is communicating. It’s a distress signal, a call for backup.

_ What the hell has happened now? _

Shuuhei turns to the guards, who have also sensed the flare. “I’m heading down to the village now,” he tells them sternly. “Kuchiki-dono needs my help.”

He rushes to the stables and mounts his horse before riding out and away from the castle complex towards the village below.

As he rides towards the dark force, Shuuhei takes note of how agitated it feels, which only increases the dread he feels right now.

_ What has he gotten himself into? _

The faint light of the incoming dawn filters through the foliage of the forest as Shuuhei begins to near the village, sensing the dark force from the house right near the gate.

When he gets closer, he notices signs of a struggle outside near the entrance of the house itself. Splashes of blood dot the ground outside, only furthering the worry in Shuuhei when he notices a trail of blood leading towards the house itself.

He stops his horse and dismounts before rushing to the house, sliding the door open only to stop at the scene of chaos inside.

The village miko, Unohana, lies unconscious in the middle of the floor, her long black hair knocked loose from its ponytail and spilled all around her. Her breathing is steady, and Shuuhei notices a tear in the shoulder of her kosode.

Kuchiki-dono sits beside her, his hands pressed against a bleeding wound on his left side as he winces against the pain. Judging from how much blood has been spilled, he’d been attacked by some kind of bladed weapon.

And standing over the both of them is a tall and muscular man with a scar on the left side of his face, an eyepatch over his right eye, and long, wild black hair. As he stands over them, the man glares at Shuuhei with an incensed expression, one that’s incredibly intimidating for a human.

Trying to stay firm, Shuuhei nods slightly. “May I know your name?” he asks.

“Zaraki,” the man snarls. “And who the hell are you?”

“Hisagi Shuuhei,” he introduces. “I’m the personal servant and guard of Kuchiki-dono. What happened here?”

“I found him…” Kuchiki-dono says weakly, wincing in pain. “As you can see… he wasn’t too thrilled to see me… but neither was I. So I made him pay…”

Shuuhei just shakes his head, a faint chuckle escaping from his lips. No matter how much Kuchiki-dono might try to deny, he’s still very much the same hot-headed spirit that he had been as a teenager.

“I dunno what the hell is going on here, but I demand an explanation!” Zaraki interrupts. “What happened to Retsu, and what the hell were you doing out there?”

“We’ve been hunting the one who has been creeping around this house,” Shuuhei explains firmly.

“You think I’m gonna believe that?!” Zaraki retorts. “All I saw was Pretty Boy over here carrying Retsu in, unconscious!”

“It’s true…” Kuchiki-dono confirms, hissing slightly. “I interrupted him and he stabbed me.” He glances at Zaraki. “Don’t worry about her. She’ll be fine.”

This does nothing to reassure Zaraki, but before he can voice any more complaints, that’s when Unohana stirs slightly, her eyelids fluttering.

“Kenpachi…” she murmurs with a slight sternness. “Keep your voice down…”

Zaraki gently helps her sit up, watching as her eyes open, and he tenderly runs his fingers through her hair.

“How are you feeling, Retsu?” he asks softly. 

“I feel tired,” Unohana says, rubbing her eyes. “What happened last night? I sensed something outside, then…”

She looks around for a moment before her eyes land upon Kuchiki-dono, and a small smile crosses her face.

“Ah, Kuchiki-sama,” she greets. “What a pleasant surprise! What brings you here this time?”

Kuchiki-dono just nods weakly in greeting. “Something was creeping around your house,” he explains. “I’d noticed it the other night when I came by here. Do not worry, Unohana-san. Whatever it was, I managed to scare it off. But… you should stay inside after dark and don’t open your door for any strangers.”

Unohana nods slowly, processing the information given. She then turns to Zaraki, leaning against him. “I need to sleep a bit longer, Zaraki,” she murmurs. “Can you take me to my futon?”

As Zaraki gingerly lifts her up, Shuuhei turns to him. “I think it’s best that you stay with her for a while,” he advises. “Make sure you arm yourself with a weapon.”

“After what happened last night, I’m definitely not leaving her side now,” Zaraki mutters darkly.

With that taken care of, Shuuhei turns to Kuchiki-dono and quickly helps him to his feet. “I’ll take you back to the castle,” he says urgently.

Kuchiki-dono just nods absent-mindedly, clearly not registering his words.

_ How much blood has he lost?  _ Shuuhei wonders anxiously.

By now, the morning sky has become even lighter, and he hurriedly mounts his steed and helps Kuchiki-dono up to sit behind him.

The moment he’s on horseback, however, Kuchiki-dono slumps against Shuuhei, and he can feel his blood staining his own kosode as well.

Gritting his teeth, Shuuhei snaps the reins, and the horse immediately starts galloping quickly towards the castle.

_ Hold on, milord… we’ll treat your wound soon enough. _

* * *

The castle has been strangely quiet this morning.

Renji isn’t sure what exactly it is, but he’s sensed that something is off right from the moment he’d woken up. Even while he’d eaten his breakfast, he’d noticed how somber the other foot soldiers were in the mess hall.

Yet he’s not sure why this is bothering him so much. He can’t even focus on his training right now, for he is so distracted by the unnatural atmosphere that hangs in the air. It’s almost as if an important presence is missing from the castle itself, but who or what could be missing?

Right then, his thoughts are interrupted by a commotion from the karamon gate. He hears Hisagi’s urgent voice shouting orders, followed by hurried responses from the guards and from Rukia-sama and Hinamori.

Frowning, Renji runs to the karamon gate to see just what is going on.

He stops short just at the side of the main keep, and he peers around the corner, only to freeze in shock as he watches the scene unfold.

Hisagi gives commands to Rukia-sama and Hinamori while he and some other guards bear the weight of an injured Kuchiki-dono between themselves. As Hinamori nods and hurries off after taking one of Hisagi’s orders, Rukia-sama accompanies Hisagi, the guard, and Kuchiki-dono towards the private residence with a look of worry upon her face.

_ What the hell is going on? _ Renji wonders, bewildered.

Should he follow them and see what’s going on? Or will he only hinder them? Renji has a feeling that his presence might be unwelcome, but he can’t help the way his heart aches with a pang of worry, particularly when he notices a trail of blood on the ground.

Unable to resist, Renji follows them at a distance, praying that he won’t be noticed.

_ What happened to you, Kuchiki-dono? _ He frets to himself.  _ How badly have you been injured? _

It’s as they’re nearing the lord’s residence when Rukia-sama whispers something to Hisagi, who then stops walking. Handing over Kuchiki-dono to the guards, Hisagi turns around and begins walking in Renji’s direction.

Renji stops in his tracks, his eyes widening. How long have they sensed his presence for? Regardless of that, he should’ve known better than to think they wouldn’t notice him.

Hisagi approaches him, folding his arms across his chest.

“You should return to the training grounds, Abarai,” he says, not unkindly. “Kuchiki-dono has been injured and he needs to rest.”

Renji bites his lower lip, nodding somberly. “What happened to him, Hisagi-san?” he asks. “Can you at least tell me that?”

Hisagi just responds with a slight shake of his head. “I’m sorry,” he says. “But he can tell you when he wakes up. In the meantime, I suggest you keep away from his residence and concentrate on your own training.”

Even though his voice is brotherly, there’s a firm undertone to it, and Renji knows that he cannot argue with him. And despite the trail of blood, Hisagi seems pretty sure that Kuchiki-dono will be alright.

With that, Renji turns and heads to the training grounds, unable to shake off the worry that hangs over him.

Just what happened to Kuchiki-dono? And why must he be left out of the loop?

Whatever the reason is, Renji knows better than to try and hinder them in caring for him. Perhaps he might get an explanation later.

But for now, he must concentrate on his training.

* * *

For Rukia, the morning seems to last almost forever.

By now, Byakuya has been taken to his chambers, and is now lying back on his futon so that she and Hinamori can tend to his injury. All that’s left is for Hisagi to make other preparations.

As she waits for Hinamori to finish preparing the salve, Rukia takes a look at her brother’s injury. Even though he’d done a good job in hiding it, it’s obvious that Byakuya has been injured quite badly.

And it cannot have happened at a worse time than now.

Oh, Rukia is all too aware of what happens to her older brother during a full moon; a truly dangerous time for the Kuchiki Clan. And with this injury of his, things have become even more precarious now.

It’s not the blood loss that’s dangerous; though it’s dangerous enough that it could kill him if left untreated. But they have a treatment to take care of that.

What’s truly dangerous is Byakuya’s feeding time.

Byakuya hardly goes out to hunt for himself during the full moon, lest he loses control of himself and goes on a rampage and slaughters an entire human village. It’s why he has someone else, typically Hisagi, go out and hunt for him during these nights.

And while Rukia, Hinamori, and everyone else will be fine, the real danger is to Abarai Renji.

Abarai must not come  _ anywhere _ near Byakuya’s residence at any point, whether it’s during the day or at night itself. But it’s especially during the night that he must stay away.

Byakuya will have recovered by the time night comes, and it’s also when his demon side comes out. And if he catches even a trace of Abarai’s scent… 

Rukia shudders, not wanting to even think about it.

They’d already seen the consequences of that two years ago, and they certainly don’t need to see it again.

Her thoughts are interrupted when Byakuya turns his head to look at her, his eyes unfocused and tired.

“Rukia…” he murmurs. “I’m so sorry… you must see me like… like this.”

_ Of course he says that first…  _

Sighing quietly, Rukia just shakes her head.

“Please keep quiet, Nii-sama,” she tells him gently. “You must concentrate on your healing right now.”

“The salve is ready, Rukia-sama,” Hinamori says.

“Good. Let’s get started, then.”

Rukia and Hinamori get to work immediately. They first slip off Byakuya’s kosode and juban to expose the injury, which is as long as a human hand. As soon as it’s uncovered, they begin to apply the healing salve that has been prepared.

This ointment is made of medicinal ferns and herbs that grow on Mount Amagi itself. These herbs are incredibly vital in restoring a demon’s dark force, so whenever he goes on a campaign, Byakuya always makes sure to have several of these treatments prepared in advance, prior to the battle itself.

Once a thick coating of ointment has been applied to the wound, which finally slows down in bleeding, Hinamori bandages the wound and fastens the gauze around Byakuya’s waist.

With the treatment finished, Byakuya just lies back in his futon, closing his eyes as Rukia gingerly drapes the sheets over his body.

“Rest well, Nii-sama,” she murmurs, rising to her feet.

She and Hinamori turn to leave the room right as Hisagi enters.

“How is he?” he asks.

“The wound has been treated,” Hinamori reports. “Kuchiki-sama should feel better by this evening.”

“Good. Now then, let’s take our leave so that the guards can put up the ofuda spells,” Hisagi tells them.

Rukia slides the shoji door shut as she, Hinamori, and Hisagi leave Kuchiki-dono’s residence.

The moment they step outside and close the doors, the guards start to plaster ofuda talismans on all the doors of the building. Such talismans are to ensure that Byakuya does not try to escape the residence, for they have spells inscribed upon them to subdue him if he tries to escape in any way.

Demons aren’t normally affected by ofuda spells or anything like that, so long as they’re in their human form. Only when they’re in their demon forms are those kinds of talismans actually harmful.

The ofuda won’t kill Byakuya, should he try to escape. They will only burn him as if he’d plunged his hands into a hot fire, which should keep him back.

Once he’s fed on blood and they’ve made sure he’s not about to lose control of himself, they’ll remove the ofuda and free him.

“I’m going to search for some prey,” Hisagi says. “I’ll be taking a few soldiers with me.”

As he gathers some soldiers, he glances at Rukia and Hinamori.

“I want you two to make sure that Abarai is kept busy with his training,” he orders them both. “And keep him away from Kuchiki-dono’s residence, no matter what. Even if he insists on seeing him, don’t let him get past you at all.”

“Of course,” Rukia agrees.

She and Hinamori head to the main keep as Hisagi and the soldiers head to the gates to begin their hunt.

It’s going to be a long day today. With her brother temporarily out of commission, she has to take over things in his absence and make sure things are running smoothly. And that includes keeping Abarai busy.

All she can do is hope that nothing goes wrong.

* * *

Renji has been distracted with worry all day long. He’d wanted to visit Kuchiki-dono so badly, and he’d hoped to try and visit him later in the evening.

But alas, it was not meant to be.

For one, he’d been training for the whole day. Rukia-sama had been interested in seeing his skills, so Renji had obliged and demonstrated his skills with the bokken and shinai for her viewing pleasure. Then, he’d sparred with numerous foot soldiers, including Rikichi, who really has potential to be a strong warrior one day.

The only times he’d stopped had been for water breaks, cool downs, and for dinner in the evening. In fact, he’d been so busy, he’d hardly noticed the sun going down until dinner had been announced.

By now, the sun has set completely, and the full moon shines high in the deep-blue sky. Not too long after the moon had shown, Rukia-sama had told Renji to go to bed and get some rest for tomorrow, as well as reassuring him that Kuchiki-dono would be better by tomorrow.

Renji stares at the moon from his window, rolling over in his futon. Even though he’s wearing his white nagajuban, it’s so damn hot right now. Not even throwing off the blanket has helped.

It’s not just the heat that’s preventing him from sleeping, though.

Ever since Kuchiki-dono had been injured, it’s as if a somber atmosphere has been hanging over the whole castle, one that will only go away when Renji sees for himself that his lord will be alright.

Which is why he’s been biding his time, waiting for the castle to be at peace. Maybe then he’ll have the opportunity to do what he wants.

Suddenly, his thoughts are interrupted by another commotion from outside. He hears doors slamming, followed by the frantic neighing of rebelling horses.

At last, this is his chance.

With that, Renji gets up from bed and carefully sneaks out of the barracks, sliding the door open and shut while trying not to make too much noise.

Once he’s outside, he takes a hidden pathway he’d discovered a short while back from the guard barrack building to the lord’s residential tower. Since everyone is dealing with unruly horses right now, Renji practically slips by unnoticed.

Silently, he nears the residential tower, only to pause when he notices numerous ofuda slips plastered on every single door.

_ Aren’t those for shrines? _ Renji thinks as he approaches the doors.  _ Why would they be put up on Kuchiki-dono’s doors? _

Something about it sends a chill down his spine, but he tries to ignore it.

Cautiously, he slides the doors open and slips inside the hallway, closing the doors behind him.

And that’s when he feels it.

A dark pressure seems to be emanating from somewhere, and it’s so thick, so powerful, that for a moment, Renji can’t breathe. Sweat slides down his temples as he looks around in alarm, his skin prickling, but he swallows and moves forward down the hall.

Some parts of the halls seem to have been damaged by an animal of some kind. Claw marks litter areas of the floor, all of them marked with residual dark force that only confuse Renji further.

And strangely enough… it’s cold here. 

There’s no source of light anywhere; the whole place is so dark, illuminated only by the moonlight that filters in from outside.

Is this really a daimyo’s residence? Surely he’d take better care of his own personal quarters and make sure it doesn’t look so… abandoned.

Renji follows the source of dark pressure until it leads to two large shoji doors. Without a doubt, this must be Kuchiki-dono’s bed chamber. And he can also sense his pressure on the other side, so he must be there.

Hesitantly, he places his hand on the door and takes a deep breath. He has a brief vision of Kuchiki-dono wearing nothing but his nagajuban, his hair unruly from sleeping, but he quickly shakes his head to dispel such visions.

Without further ado, Renji slides the doors open and steps inside the chambers, only to stop in his tracks.

Kuchiki-dono isn’t here.

But shouldn’t he be resting? Why is his futon empty and unmade then? And why is it so dark in here as well?

Suddenly, the doors slide shut, colliding together with a loud slam that makes Renji jump.

Quickly, he turns around, frowning in confusion.

_ What the hell? _

How could those doors have shut by themselves?

As Renji stares at the doors, contemplating on what could’ve made them close so suddenly, he fails to notice movement in the shadows of the room.

But right then, he feels the back of his neck prickling… as if he’s being watched.

Swallowing heavily, Renji slowly turns around.

His stomach drops, and he is completely frozen in place, unable to bring himself to move.

Staring at him, from the shadows of the chamber, are a pair of red, glowing eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, if only Renji had just listened... but can you blame him for being so concerned? Regardless, things are starting to escalate, and hopefully he won't get hurt in the process!
> 
> As a note, an ofuda are paper slips that are used in Shinto rituals for exorcism and purification rites, or as wards of evil. While typically used in Shinto shrines, they can also be placed around a home, with some of them being used as protective guards placed on doors.
> 
> Please let me know how I did, and Happy Halloween!


	8. The Bitter Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After nearly being attacked by a demonic Byakuya, Renji learns the truth about the residents of Senbonzakura Castle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 8 is here, everyone! A word of caution: there is some potentially-triggering content here, so be warned.
> 
> I hope you all enjoy!

The horses rear up aggressively, neighing frantically even as their riders desperately try to calm them down. Their hooves pound the ground, and it takes all of the soldiers’ strength to hold onto their reigns. But calming them down is almost futile after what happened during the hunt.

Shuuhei still remembers what had happened during the hunt. Whatever had injured Kuchiki-dono the night before has now gotten to some of the horses as well. And even though most of them are fine, the fact that some of their own have been hurt was enough to frighten the poor beasts.

As Shuuhei and the soldiers try to calm the horses down, Hinamori and Rukia-sama have been tasked with taking care of the prey they’d caught.

They’d managed to catch and incapacitate a bandit on the mountain path outside of their territory, tying him up and covering his head with a sack before bringing him back to the castle. Though from the way he’s struggling against the bindings, it seems like he’s beginning to wake up.

Nevertheless, Rukia-sama and Hinamori are firm in their handling of him, though Shuuhei finds himself nearly taking a hoof to the face several times in his attempt at calming the horses.

A good several minutes pass before the horses finally calm down. Once they’ve been calmed, the stable hand comes and leads them all back to the stables.

Once they’ve gone, silence hangs over the courtyard once more.

“God…” Shuuhei sighs, running a hand through his hair. “That was way more stressful than I expected.”

“What happened to the horses?” Hinamori asks.

“Some of them got attacked by whatever it was that injured Kuchiki-dono last night,” Shuuhei explains. “It’s a miracle we’d managed to get back here without any major trouble before now.”

“Will they be alright?” Rukia-sama asks, looking concerned.

“I’m sure they will,” Shuuhei reassures her. “The injured horses have to be treated, but they didn’t look too badly hurt, fortunately. Either way, we must find that creature soon enough before it takes any more lives.”

As Rukia-sama and Hinamori nod in agreement, Shuuhei takes a deep breath, only to pause as he catches a rather distinctly woodsy, sharp scent.

_This is…_

He frowns as realization strikes him.

“Rukia-sama, Hinamori,” he says cautiously. “Has Abarai returned to the personal guard barracks?”

Rukia-sama raises an eyebrow, and Hinamori looks equally puzzled.

“Of course he has,” Rukia-sama says. “Why is that?”

“I just caught his scent a few moments ago,” Shuuhei tells them. “Maybe it’s my imagination, but it seems to be coming from Kuchiki-dono’s residence.”

As soon as the words leave his mouth, however, Shuuhei’s blood runs cold with realization. Turning to the lord’s residential tower, he picks up on Abarai’s scent coming right from there.

 _Oh no…_ Horror washes over him.

Likewise, Rukia-sama and Hinamori look equally aghast as they follow his line of vision and pick up on Abarai’s scent.

“Damn it all…” Shuuhei curses.

He turns to some soldiers. “Get the kyara incense, a pail of water, and roasted soybeans right now!” he barks. “And hurry!”

Immediately, he starts running towards the residence, followed by Rukia-sama, Hinamori, Rikichi, and a few other soldiers.

“We’re truly sorry!” Rukia-sama hurriedly apologizes. “I should’ve kept a closer eye on him!”

“Don’t blame yourselves, both of you,” Shuuhei reassures her and Hinamori. “Let’s just get there quickly before it’s too late.”

But what the hell is Abarai doing in the lord’s residence? He’d been strictly forbidden from trespassing, so why would he go there?

Whatever his reason might be, Shuuhei can’t dwell on it right now. What’s more important is getting there in time before Abarai becomes Kuchiki-dono’s prey.

* * *

Ice forms in Renji’s stomach, and he doesn’t dare to move as he keeps his gaze locked with the glowing red eyes in the shadows. The only sounds in the room are those of breathing: Renji’s light breaths that he tries to keep quiet, and another set that sounds almost primal and lustful.

In fact, they’re tinged with a light shudder that sends a shiver down Renji’s spine.

The red eyes seem to be coming closer, and that’s when a familiar person slowly emerges from the shadows.

Renji’s body goes cold as Kuchiki-dono, wearing only a fundoshi and barely recognizable now, prowls towards him, his red eyes glinting with desire.

He can’t believe it. There’s no way this _creature_ can possibly be the daimyo he serves beneath, and yet, there’s no mistaking that lithe elegance, that ethereal and effortless beauty, and of course, the dark force that hangs thickly in the air.

Horns protrude from either side of Kuchiki-dono’s temples, and his fingernails have turned into claws. Fangs glint from his mouth, and his hair is flowing freely in a way that would’ve mesmerized Renji, were it not for how unearthly his lord looks.

And that’s not getting into how his body is nearly exposed, save for his fundoshi. Renji briefly takes in the way his pale skin seems to shine beneath the moonlight, and his lean yet toned build, but as beautiful as Kuchiki-dono is, he has no time to admire him.

“Kuchiki-dono…?” Renji whispers, his voice wavering as he takes a step back. “Is… Is that really you?”

Kuchiki-dono remains silent, his gaze piercing. Renji’s heart hammers against his chest and dread twists in his gut.

_Why isn’t he answering?_

Suddenly, before he can even blink, Kuchiki-dono disappears in a blur.

And then the room spins as Renji finds himself pushed down to the tatami floors, a grunt escaping him from the impact of the fall. A weight on his lower body keeps him pinned to the floor, and when he opens his eyes, his cheeks rapidly heat up as he takes in the sight of Kuchiki-dono straddling him and regarding him with a heated gaze.

 _“Don’t be afraid…”_ Kuchiki-dono croons, gently raking his claws over Renji’s cheek.

Renji inhales sharply at the touch. Instinctively, he struggles and tries to push Kuchiki-dono off, only to freeze when he moves his hand to press his claws against his throat.

They don’t pierce the skin, but the message is clear: _don’t move._

Knowing what could happen if he struggles again, Renji remains still, unable to hide the way his heart pounds against his chest.

Then, Kuchiki-dono leans down and buries his face into the crook of Renji’s neck, inhaling his scent. Despite the situation, the feeling of his warm breath against his skin is unusually… _arousing._

Realizing what he’s thinking, Renji tenses up.

There’s no way he can be feeling _aroused_ from this, right? He’s no stranger to intimate encounters with men and women, but this kind of encounter… it is far from intimate or erotic.

 _“You smell so good,”_ he purrs into Renji’s ear, his baritone voice sending a shiver down Renji’s spine. _“You have no idea how much your scent tempts me, how much_ **_you_ ** _tempt me, Abarai Renji.”_

He slides his tongue over the shell of Renji’s ear, and much to Renji’s dismay, his cheeks heat up at the action. _“And I know how much you want me as well.”_

Fear spiking within him, Renji shakes his head. Whether it’s out of fear or denial, he doesn’t know.

“D-Don’t…” he protests weakly. “Get off me-”

 _“Don’t lie to me,”_ Kuchiki-dono continues, his voice hot and heavy with desire. _“I can sense your true desires. The way your heart races, the way you regard me… surely this is what you want?”_

Renji goes still as his words echo in his mind.

Oh god… how long has Kuchiki-dono been aware of his attraction to him? 

Too paralyzed with shock, Renji barely registers Kuchiki-dono pulling his nagajuban open until he feels a cool hand sliding down his firm pecs and going even further down towards his groin.

Flinching at his touch, Renji tries desperately to push Kuchiki-dono away, struggling against whatever kind of supernatural strength he’s been imbued with right now.

Kuchiki-dono narrows his eyes dangerously.

 _“Is that how you want to play?”_ he snarls. _“Then I’ll just take what I want by force.”_

Renji tenses up as Kuchiki-dono moves his lips to his neck, unable to suppress the shudder that runs down his spine.

_Don’t tell me he’s actually going to…_

His thoughts are interrupted by a dull prick and the sensation of teeth on his neck, and he winces as his vision starts to blur. All he can do is let his head fall back as his head spins, overwhelmed completely by a faint feeling.

Eventually, he vaguely becomes aware of the sounds of the doors forcefully sliding open, followed by distant, urgent shouts.

He feels himself being freed from Kuchiki-dono on top of him before someone hooks their arms beneath his underarms and pulls him away. Too faint to protest, Renji just lets himself be pulled away.

Then there’s angry snarling and more urgent shouting but eventually, after what feels like forever, Renji feels himself carried out of the room.

And right then, his eyes slide shut as unconsciousness takes over him.

* * *

_“You insolent fools!”_

“Rikichi, get the water!”

_“Unhand me right now, I’ll destroy every last one of you!”_

“Don’t let him go! Hurry up!”

He’s suffocating.

That’s the first thing that pierces through the fog in Byakuya’s mind. He’s suffocating because of the thick and bitter cloud of kyara incense, a demon’s biggest weakness, in the room. He can’t believe such a noxious scent has replaced the delicious one from earlier. 

Someone has come in with what must be a whole ton of the noxious incense sticks and now someone else is restraining his arms so he can’t escape from it.

And if that weren’t enough, someone else is pelting him with roasted soybeans; another repellent.

Suddenly, Byakuya feels a wave of cold water drenching him all over, completely banishing the haze of bloodlust in his mind. He stops struggling immediately, coughing up some water that had gotten into his mouth.

“You may release him now.”

He’s released from the tight hold, and Byakuya collapses to the ground, breathing heavily and feeling absolutely humiliated.

As if the kyara incense and pelting him with roasted soybeans weren’t enough, now they have the nerve to pour _water_ on him?

“Rikichi,” Hisagi coolly orders. “Remove the kyara incense from the room.”

“Yes, sir.”

The bitter scent disappears, and Byakuya sighs in relief once more. Pushing his wet hair away from his face, he takes in a deep breath only to pick up on a familiar woodsy scent, one that he has grown quite fond of.

He then looks up to see Hisagi glaring at him, his arms folded across his chest.

Something about that glare makes Byakuya wince a little.

“Do you remember what you were just doing, Kuchiki-dono?” he asks sternly.

Byakuya’s confusion begins to lift, and his ears and cheeks burn as shame washes over him, the memories of how he’d been interrupted hitting him hard. Even worse, he can’t feel disgusted with himself just yet; Abarai’s scent is making him want even more.

Before he can ask further about what happened, Hisagi casually tosses a man, hands and feet bound and head covered, at him.

“Drink,” he orders.

Byakuya just takes a look at the struggling human, then looks back at Hisagi. “Where’s Abarai?” he asks.

_Is he alright? Did I kill him by accident?_

“Abarai’s been taken back to the barracks,” Hisagi says tersely. “I definitely don’t think it’s best for you to see him right now.”

Byakuya’s cheeks burn with shame.

“Either way, you’re not seeing him until you’ve fed properly,” Hisagi reminds him.

With a nod and a bitter sigh, Byakuya hauls up the man by his shoulders, ignoring his struggling, then harshly bites down into his neck.

Blood pours into his mouth, and Byakuya swallows every last drop. Even if his scent isn’t as amazing as Abarai’s, this man’s blood is decent enough, and it does the job effectively. In fact, he feels his horns and claws gradually retracting as he returns to his human form.

But the more he drinks, the more miserable and ashamed of himself he becomes.

How could he have done that to Abarai? To not only reveal himself like that to his soldier, but to also try and _violate_ him in such an intimate manner… it’s shameful.

He feels like possibly the biggest scoundrel in the whole world.

Disgust hits him in full force as he finishes draining the man of his life and releases his body to the floor. As Hisagi hands him a fresh white nagajuban to change into, Rikichi takes the body and leaves the room with it, the other guards following him.

Once they’ve gone, Byakuya slowly stands up and slips the nagajuban on, covering himself once more.

How close had he been to killing Abarai? How could he have done that to him?

“It’s good we managed to get to you on time, milord,” Hisagi says coolly. “Unlike what happened with Hisana-sama.”

Byakuya’s chest feels tight, and his cheeks burn again.

He knows that Hisagi is right, but he can’t help how he feels even worse now.

Lifting his gaze up to meet Hisagi’s, Byakuya doesn’t bother hiding how ashamed he looks.

“May I see him now?” he asks hoarsely.

“I think it’s best we wait a bit longer,” Hisagi advises. “We need to make sure you’ve fully shifted before we can let you go to him.”

All Byakuya can do is silently agree as he turns away.

Abarai must hate him right now. There’s no way that he’ll want to be loyal to someone as heinous as he is.

And Byakuya has no one to blame but himself.

* * *

Rukia and Hinamori kneel in seiza beside Abarai, who is lying in his futon, his long crimson tresses flowing freely past his shoulders. He’s still unconscious, having been put into a swoon from Byakuya’s bite, and it’s honestly a miracle that he hadn’t lost any blood. 

But that’s no consolation from the turmoil that wracks Rukia’s mind.

She knows that this incident isn’t Byakuya’s fault. Whatever this condition of his is supposed to be, no one really knows. Yet it’s given him a lot of grief for the two-hundred-forty years he has been alive.

And at the same time, it’s not Abarai’s fault either.

Really, she cannot bring herself to blame Abarai for his concern over her brother. Yes, he’d broken the rules and went to the lord’s residence when he’d been told to stay away, but even so, she cannot fault him for wanting to visit his lord.

She’d thought that keeping him in the dark had been a good idea; at least, it had seemed to be a good idea at the time.

And this is where it’s gotten them now.

Even so, Rukia is truly relieved that Abarai hadn’t gotten hurt. She’d been dreading the worst to have happened: a repeat of that horrible incident from two years ago. It’s good that they’d managed to get there on time before Byakuya could do any more damage to him.

But how will Abarai react when he wakes up? Will he still be willing to stay here? Or will he hate them all for deceiving him?

Right then, Abarai stirs slightly before he slowly opens his eyes.

“Where… Where am I?” he murmurs, brushing his hair out of his face.

Rukia sighs in relief, a small smile crossing her face. “Oh, thank fate you’re all right…” she says.

Abarai turns to look at her and Hinamori, and is about to sit up before the latter gently pushes him back onto the futon.

“Go easy on yourself,” Hinamori coaxes him softly. “You might still feel a little faint, so just lie down.”

Nodding slowly, Abarai complies and lies back as Hinamori gives him some water to drink.

With water replenishing his energy levels, Abarai sits up before frowning slightly.

“Where’s Kuchiki-dono?” he asks quietly. “He… He was on top of me, and… on my neck, and…” His cheeks seem to blush a little. “Was that really Kuchiki-dono? He seemed rather… different.”

Rukia nods grimly. “He wasn’t himself,” she tells him. “You should’ve stayed in the barracks, Abarai. You weren’t supposed to see that side of him at all.”

Abarai’s eyes widen, and he looks at her, clearly confused.

With another sigh, Rukia just looks down.

“I didn’t want to do this, but I’m afraid that it’s time to tell the truth,” she says.

“The truth?” Abarai repeats.

“About all of us.”

Abarai remains frozen, perhaps too stunned to even comprehend. “What… What do you mean?” he asks anxiously. “You’re… You’re just Rukia-sama, aren’t you?”

Her heart clenches. “No,” she says wistfully. “The truth is… you’re the only human being in this castle.”

* * *

Renji stares at the two women in shock as Rukia-sama’s words sink in.

Him? The only human in the whole castle? But that’s ridiculous! Surely she’s just trying to fool him, isn’t she?

And yet, deep down, a part of him knows that Rukia-sama is not lying about this at all. Why would she lie to him?

“What do you mean by that?” he asks nervously. “You don’t seem inhuman to me, my lady.”

Rukia-sama just shakes her head. “I’m not human, Abarai,” she says softly. “But before I tell you this, I need you to understand that none of us want to harm you at all.”

“Alright…” Renji says, his apprehension growing.

“Every single person in the castle,” Rukia-sama finally says, “myself, Nii-sama, Hinamori, Hisagi, Rikichi, and every soldier here… we are all demons.”

Renji’s eyes widen, and his blood runs cold.

He recalls all the stories and folk tales he’s heard from Unohana and Sasakibe, of gigantic, monstrous creatures with horns, fangs, claws, and wild hair who live in mountain caves and violently kill humans for their own sadistic pleasure. And yes, he’d occasionally entertained the possibilities of these stories as being true, particularly as an explanation for malevolent spiritual phenomena he senses, but he’d never let such stories hinder his daily life.

In hindsight, however, it all makes sense now, especially as to why the dark force in all the castle’s residents is remarkably strong.

However, no one here seems to resemble the kind of hulking, monstrous creatures that demons are said to be. Even Kuchiki-dono himself didn’t seem rather gigantic or beastly, even when…

And that’s when another thought hits him.

Just what are Kuchiki-dono’s true intentions with him? Had he only been trying to lull Renji into a false sense of security before killing him? Had he been toying with him for his own twisted amusement before planning on disposing of him?

Had… Had it all been a lie? Does Kuchiki-dono even truly _care_ about him? Or had that been a cruel ruse, meant to hurt him, break his heart before he is violently killed?

“Abarai?” Rukia-sama calls him back to his senses. “Are you alright?”

Renji looks up to see both Rukia-sama and Hinamori looking at him nervously, waiting for him to respond.

With a weak smile, Renji nods. “I’m… I’m fine…” he lies. “But does that mean you all kill and eat humans for your own amusement?”

Hinamori shakes her head. “No, not at all! None of us do!” she denies. “Kuchiki-dono would never have married Hisana-sama if he were like that either!”

And speaking of his late wife… Renji recalls all the times he’d been told about some strange animal attack that had caused disaster among them. 

Somehow, that story has become a lot less believable in the face of these revelations.

“You all told me about an animal attack,” he whispers. “An attack that killed Kuchiki-dono’s wife, injured Hinamori, and gave Hisagi those scars… but was it really an animal that attacked you all?”

Rukia-sama and Hinamori look at each other grimly before turning back to Renji.

“It looks like we can’t hide it anymore,” Hinamori says softly. “We’re going to tell you about what really happened two years ago.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some notes:
> 
> \- Kyara incense is a kind of incense wood imported from Vietnam, and it has a bitter scent. The other imported incense woods for Japanese incense are rakoku from Thailand (sweet scent), manaka from Malacca, Malaysia (no scent), manaban from an unknown origin (salty scent), sasora from India (hot scent), and sumotara from Sumatra, Indonesia (sour scent).
> 
> \- Throwing roasted soybeans is a traditional custom believed to drive out oni, and is practiced during Setsubun. Since I took some inspiration from the stories of oni from Japanese mythology, I thought it was fitting to have roasted soybeans as a weakness against demons.
> 
> And with that, Chapter 8 is finished. Now the truth has come out, but not all of it yet. I wonder how Renji will react to the truth, though?
> 
> Please let me know how I did, and have a good one!


	9. Like a Dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The truth about what happened to Hisana is finally revealed. At the same time, Renji is torn over what he should do now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is going to be filled with quite a bit of feels and angst, so I hope you're prepared for a bit of an emotional rollercoaster.
> 
> I hope you all enjoy!

Momo still remembers that beautiful, amazing day when Kuchiki-dono had married Hisana-sama, going against his family’s demands in order to do so.

Most of the Kuchiki Clan had strongly disapproved of Kuchiki Byakuya, a powerful demon from an ancient and powerful noble clan of demons, getting married to a “lowly, weak human woman” like Hisana-sama (though they’d used much harsher words to describe her).

Yet not even his family’s disapproval had been enough to stop him from marrying her. Thus, he’d married Hisana-sama in a wedding ceremony at the Senbonzakura Castle itself.

The ceremony had truly been a beautiful day, and Momo had truly been happy for Kuchiki-dono. Never before had she seen her lord looking so happy until then, and to see his eyes shine with sincere joy was such a privilege. Even though Hisana-sama was human, she had been the light of her lord’s life.

Momo might not have been serving the Kuchiki Clan for as long as Hisagi has, but she had come to care for her lord quite a bit, and had seen how aloof and closed-off he’d been from everyone else.

Then again, Kuchiki-dono has always felt rather isolated and alone from other demons, no thanks to his… unusual condition.

For him to have found someone as kind and sweet as Hisana-sama… it had truly been a blessing. She’d brought out a much gentler side in Kuchiki-dono, one that he didn’t hesitate in showing towards everyone in the castle.

And how she was loved by all the servants and soldiers… 

Whenever she smiled, it was as if the whole room would light up. She’d won over the hearts of every single servant and soldier, and she’d especially become quite close with Rukia-sama as well.

Even more, she never shied away from interacting with the servants, hence why she’d been so loved. Hisana-sama had even taken Momo under her wing and treated her like a sister, much like how she’d treated Rukia-sama.

They’d done rikka together, had long conversations in the gardens, all of which had taken place during Momo’s free time. And sometimes, Hisana-sama would let Momo accompany her when she’d gone to watch Kuchiki-dono train with Hisagi and the soldiers.

That period of time, when Hisana-sama had still been alive… those had truly been the best time of everyone’s lives.

But it had only been a matter of time before things had become disastrous.

Right from the start of the courtship, Kuchiki-dono had been honest with Hisana-sama about his true nature. He’d told her that he’s a demon, and she’d believed and accepted him. 

However, even though she’d known about Kuchiki-dono’s true nature, he’d refused to tell her about his monthly cravings for human blood during the full moon. He’d even gone as far as instructing everyone in the castle to never tell her about it either.

Momo couldn’t blame her lord; he’d been afraid that Hisana-sama would not accept that part of him, so of course he’d want to keep that dark and vicious side of himself hidden away. Even then, she’d always had a bad feeling about keeping something like that a secret, but she couldn’t go against what had been ordered of her.

Thus, like everyone else in the castle, she’d obeyed and made sure that Hisana-sama kept away from the residential tower during the full moon once a month.

Hisana-sama had obeyed the rule for the most part, and stayed well away from that area once a month. However, it was only a matter of time before she’d started asking questions.

Several nights on the full moon, Hisana-sama would always ask Momo, Hisagi, or Rukia-sama about why Kuchiki-dono would isolate himself in the tower, but they’d always evaded the question one way or another. For her part, Momo would simply say that she wasn’t allowed to say why, and that only Kuchiki-dono could answer her questions when he was ready.

Yet even that hadn’t been enough to satisfy her curiosity. Hisana-sama had always been curious about demons and what they were like, and Momo was always happy to clarify anything she didn’t understand. The only thing she refused to speak about was Kuchiki-dono’s monthly condition.

It had seemed like a good idea at the time. In hindsight, however, Momo can’t help but wonder just how much heartache and tragedy could’ve been avoided had they just told her the truth.

She still remembers that fateful night like it was yesterday.

It had happened on a full moon in the late winter two years ago, when the plum blossoms had just bloomed to herald the approach of spring.

During that night, one of the horses had been acting up during the hunt, and even after they’d returned with human prey, it had been difficult to get the prey and the horse under control.

Somehow, Hisana-sama had managed to sneak past them to the residential tower, and none of them had discovered it until after the horse and prey had been subdued, when Momo had caught her scent drifting from that direction.

They’d immediately rushed towards the tower after grabbing the necessary items to stop him, and as they’d entered the building, they could hear Kuchiki-dono’s snarls and Hisana-sama’s pleas for him to tell her what happened to him.

Most demons, when they get hungry for blood, are still able to hunt for the sake of feeding. Kuchiki-dono, on the other hand, when he gets his monthly cravings for human blood, he craves it so much that he loses all sense of reason. His instinct takes over, and he’ll hunt down any human unfortunate enough to get in his way.

It’s the main reason why he has to keep himself isolated, after all. Or else he’ll slaughter a whole village if he’s allowed to roam free.

Even though they’d run as fast as they could, it had been far too late by the time they’d reached the bed chamber.

Hisana-sama had been pinned to the ground, her skin so unnaturally pale and her eyes glazed over. On top of her in his demonic form, Kuchiki-dono had his face buried in the crook of her neck as he drank her blood right from a bite mark there, one that had induced a swoon in her.

Momo had acted fast, and had rushed into the room with a bundle of kyara incense, hoping that the bitter scent would snap Kuchiki-dono back to his senses.

And from there, things had gone horribly wrong.

The bitter incense smoke had only enraged her lord, especially since his feeding had been interrupted; something that demons do _not_ tolerate at all.

The next thing she knew, she’d been pinned to the ground, the incense sticks knocked out of her hand, and Kuchiki-dono hovered over her while glaring at her through glowing red eyes.

 _“Know your place, insolent ant,”_ he’d snarled at her.

Then, he’d savagely torn his claws through her right leg.

Momo had screamed herself hoarse while her lord had ruthlessly mauled her leg; the pain had been agonizing, unlike anything she’d felt in her whole life. And she couldn’t even fight him back; her own powers were insignificant in comparison to Kuchiki-dono’s.

Rukia-sama had intervened next, trying to fight him off through throwing roasted soybeans at him, but that had incensed him even further.

Kuchiki-dono had then tried to attack his own sister, but Hisagi had stepped in to defend her.

He’d ended up getting clawed down his right eye for his efforts.

And that had been the last thing Momo had remembered before unconsciousness had taken over her.

She hadn’t been too sure how much time had passed before she’d regained consciousness again, but she’d woken up in a futon with Rukia-sama and a physician tending to her. Her leg had been bandaged up, and they’d explained that considering how much blood she’d lost, it had been a miracle that she’d survived. But sadly, her powers had been permanently weakened due to the severity of the injury. 

Momo had also learned that Kuchiki-dono had been subdued, but unfortunately, there was no way to save Hisana-sama, since the lord had drank too much of her blood.

Later on, Kuchiki-dono had stopped by to personally apologize to her, and never had she seen him look so _crushed_ until then. She had forgiven him, of course, since he really hadn’t meant to hurt her so horribly.

He’d also made sure to apologize to Hisagi and Rukia-sama, and they’d also forgiven him, even though he’d been reluctant to accept their forgiveness.

They’d all paid a visit to Hisana-sama, who was on the verge of death from her blood loss. Kuchiki-dono had wept before her, desperately apologizing for what he’d done, and explaining why he’d kept himself isolated during the full moon. He hadn’t expected any forgiveness from her, and yet she’d forgiven him with a smile on her face.

 _“How can you forgive me, Hisana?”_ Kuchiki-dono had asked through his tears, holding her close. _“I’m the very reason that you’re dying, and you still forgive me?”_

 _“Do not blame yourself, Byakuya-sama…”_ Hisana-sama had weakly whispered to him. _“I should have listened to you from the start. I’m so sorry for not listening to you…”_

 _“Don’t apologize, my love… you have nothing to blame yourself for.”_ He’d held her closer. _“I love you, Hisana…”_

Hisana-sama had just weakly smiled up at him. _“These past few years I’ve been with you were like a dream…”_ she’d told him. _“Thank you for everything, Byakuya-sama.”_

And with those words, she’d died in his arms.

Kuchiki-dono had been inconsolable.

For days on end, after Hisana-sama’s death, he’d wept and grieved all alone, blaming himself incessantly for the disaster that had taken place. He’d avoided everyone for a while, and everyone had worried that he would commit seppuku if he were alone for too long.

Eventually, Kuchiki-dono had emerged from his study one evening, having found a way of dealing with his problems.

He’d accepted a declaration of war from the Aizen Clan, another clan of powerful demons, and embarked on a campaign against him for two years. In addition, he’d also decided to stay well away from all humans so that he’d never lose control of himself again.

Momo had been appalled at his solution. While she’d understood her lord’s claim of wanting to keep humans away from his bloodlust, she’d seen it as avoidance. He’s just running away from his problems; the complete opposite of dealing with them.

Which is why she and Hisagi had been insistent that Kuchiki-dono have Abarai Renji serve beneath him, not too long after the stories of his strength had been circulating. Not only would he be facing his issues head-on, but Abarai is strong, so surely he would be able to handle his demonic side.

And besides, Kuchiki-dono has never been one to address his problems directly, and unless he gets over his fear of hurting another human, he won’t ever be able to move forward.

And yet… it has also brought them to where they are today, with a shocked Abarai in his futon, listening to Momo’s heart-wrenching story.

* * *

Silence hangs in the room after Hinamori finishes telling the story, and Renji just stares at her and Rukia-sama as so many emotions roil within him.

“I’m so sorry that happened to you,” he whispers to Hinamori.

Hinamori simply responds with a sad smile. “Don’t be sorry,” she reassures him. “It’s not like I’ve lost my entire leg.”

Even so, Renji’s heart aches for Kuchiki-dono, and for everyone in this castle. For a daimyo to have such a complicated and dangerous condition that has caused pain for himself and for everyone else around him… it’s awful.

“We’ll understand if you wish to return, Abarai,” Rukia-sama says at last, tears lining her eyes.

“Return?” Renji looks at her in surprise. “I never said anything about leaving the castle.”

He certainly can’t leave now; not after hearing such a painful story.

And yet, can he truly, willingly serve a daimyo who happens to be a demon? After all, a demon is most likely the one that’s been preying on his village, and what if it turns out to be Kuchiki-dono?

But it feels so wrong to just abandon him. Kuchiki-dono has already put himself through hell, and to abandon him when he’s crying for help… it’s not right.

Renji’s heart aches as he recalls those moments where he and Kuchiki-dono had trained together, especially that time when he’d tended to his injuries. He’d looked so guilty when he’d given him the injury, and Renji had originally thought that it had been out of simple concern.

But had he actually been reliving his guilt over what happened with Hisana-sama? Did he worry about hurting him the way he’d hurt her?

What should he do? Should he stay in the castle and try to help Kuchiki-dono? Or should he leave?

Slowly, Renji shakes his head.

“I… I don’t know what I should do,” he confesses. “Like you said, it… it might not be alright for me to stay here anymore.”

“That’s between you and Nii-sama,” Rukia-sama tells him gently. “If I had my way, you’d stay with us forever.”

She shyly averts her eyes as the words leave her mouth, her cheeks blushing slightly.

Something about that honest confession makes Renji’s heart flutter. For Rukia-sama to want him to stay… she must’ve really grown fond of him.

Yet even that isn’t enough to calm the conflict within him.

“I really don’t know, my lady,” Renji whispers. “I don’t know anymore.”

Before either Rukia-sama or Hinamori can respond, there’s a knock on the door.

Renji turns to look at the door warily, and both Rukia-sama and Hinamori also remain seated, regarding the door just as cautiously.

After a few more seconds, a voice comes from the other side.

“Rukia? Hinamori?” It’s Kuchiki-dono. “May I come in?”

Renji’s eyes widen slightly as his heart beats a little faster.

However, Rukia-sama narrows her eyes, and Renji can see that she’s not sure if she can let her brother in yet.

“Have you fed already?” she asks sternly.

An awkward pause lingers for a few seconds before he answers.

“I have,” he says hesitantly.

“Alright, then you can come in.” Rukia-sama rises to her feet, Hinamori following suit, and they both make their way to the door as it slides open.

Renji just stares in shock at the sight of his lord as he enters the room.

Kuchiki-dono… he’s a pitiful mess. His normally-neat hair is damp and messy, his nagajuban slightly askew, and his bloodshot eyes have dark circles beneath them, as though he might just start crying any minute now.

Just seeing him in such a state is enough to make Renji’s heart ache all over again.

“May I speak to Abarai alone?” he asks hoarsely.

When Rukia-sama and Hinamori glance at him for a response, Renji just nods slightly.

“Very well then,” Rukia-sama says. “We’ll be outside if you need us.”

With that, they both depart from the room, the door sliding shut behind them.

Renji watches apprehensively as Kuchiki-dono approaches his futon, his pained expression practically breaking his heart. Kuchiki-dono might be a daimyo, but he looks so small and vulnerable and pitiful right now that Renji just wants to give him a hug.

As soon as he reaches his side, he drops to his knees and bows his head to the floor.

“I know how horrible I have been, and I know that I have no right to ask you for forgiveness,” Kuchiki-dono begins, “but I just want you to know that I am sorry, Abarai Renji.” His voice wavers. “I’m so, very sorry for putting you through this.”

Renji’s heart squeezes painfully in his chest. He wants to forgive him, he truly does, but a part of him is still a bit afraid.

“Kuchiki-dono…” he finally says quietly, “is it true? Everything that Rukia-sama and Hinamori told me?”

Kuchiki-dono lifts his face up to reveal tears sliding down his cheeks as he nods.

“They wouldn’t lie to you,” he tells him hoarsely.

Renji just looks down. “So it’s true…” he murmurs. “You drink human blood once a month on the full moon.”

From the corner of his eye, he notices Kuchiki-dono flinching at those words.

“Do… Do you hate us?” he pleads. “Do you hate _me?”_

Tears fill Renji’s eyes at that last question. Gods, what is wrong with him? How is it that the pain in his lord’s voice is making him want to cry?

He should be ashamed of himself for being so weak.

“I… I don’t know,” he answers, suppressing the urge to weep. “How can I… How can I trust you again? How do I know that you weren’t just luring me here to become your prey?”

Kuchiki-dono just looks down as more tears slide down his cheeks.

Trying not to falter, Renji presses on. “Were… Were you the one who’s been preying on my village?” he asks.

Now, Kuchiki-dono’s head snaps up, his eyes widening in shock.

For a moment, Renji wonders if the shock is because he’s caught now, or if it’s because he hadn’t known about the deaths at all.

“Preying on?” he repeats. “So he’s been killing in the village as well…”

Renji stares at him, puzzled. “What are you talking about?” he asks. “Something has been killing people in the village for years! My parents… Unohana-san’s family…”

His body shivers as the tears slide down his cheeks. He feels sick to his stomach now.

“I’m so sorry, Abarai,” Kuchiki-dono says quietly. “This is my clan’s territory. Something has been trespassing in the forest for some time now, but I had no idea that they’d been killing people.” He sniffles slightly, not even caring how he looks right now. “I only hunt animals, and I would never dream of hunting humans like that. But I always make sure my servants hunt humans once a month outside our territory, unless-”

“Listen to yourself!” Renji interrupts, choking back on a sob as more tears spill down his cheeks. “You say that, and yet you still kill humans on the full moon! You speak about them as if they’re mindless animals! Even if… Even if you didn’t kill my parents or anyone else in the village… all those other humans might have had families, too!”

He swallows heavily as he looks down, unable to suppress his sobs any longer. His throat feels raw, and his hands tremble as he clenches them tightly.

“Abarai…” Right then, Kuchiki-dono gently takes his hands into his own.

Looking up, he notices fresh tears in his lord’s eyes.

“This is what I am,” Kuchiki-dono pleads. “I can’t help it; this is how I have to live. I can’t ask you to accept it, but please understand that I’m only doing it to survive. It’s not out of maliciousness at all.”

His lord’s eyes are honest and imploring, not a hint of malice at all. No matter what kind of monster he might be, Kuchiki-dono is still a man who seeks his loyalty and approval.

Renji takes a deep breath as he carefully thinks over his next words.

“Do… Do you have to kill?” he asks. “Can’t you only take just what you need?”

Kuchiki-dono pauses.

“It’s very difficult to stop,” he says quietly. “And there’s always a risk of leaving a witness.”

Renji just nods softly, sniffling a little. “Can you at least try?”

Kuchiki-dono looks hesitant for a moment before he answers.

“I’ll… I’ll try,” he says at last. “For your sake, I’ll try.”

Even though he sounds hesitant, there’s an underlying sincerity that makes Renji’s heart feel a little lighter as he tentatively smiles at him.

“Thank you,” he says, squeezing his lord’s pale hands a little.

After a moment of looking down at his hands, he looks back up and speaks again.

“I don’t want to leave,” Renji tells him. “I’ll serve you for the campaign against the Ginjo Clan.”

And a tiny part of him hopes that maybe, just maybe, he can help Kuchiki-dono in taming that demonic side of his.

Kuchiki-dono’s eyes seem to brighten with pure, genuine happiness.

“Thank you, Abarai,” he whispers, releasing his hands. “That means so much to me.”

By now, Renji’s tears have dried, and he can’t stop himself from smiling. Something about the look of gratitude on Kuchiki-dono’s face makes his heart flutter slightly, and he’s not sure what this strange feeling is.

But whatever it is, all he knows is that things are beginning to look up for the both of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And with that, Chapter 9 has finished. I'll be honest, this chapter made me tear up a little while I wrote it, especially when Byakuya came to apologize to Renji. Let's hope that Renji will be able to help Byakuya face his problems once and for all!
> 
> Please let me know how I did, and have a good one!


	10. Personal Invitation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Despite the events of last night, Byakuya and Renji try to return to a sense of normalcy, only to get even closer to each other than expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's Chapter 10, which has some more sweeter moments between our boys here~ after the stressful events of the last two chapters, I thought it would be nice to give them a bit of a breather here.
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

The sun has finally risen, its rays of warmth shining over the Senbonzakura Castle.

It’s almost hard to believe that so much has happened last night. From Byakuya’s demonic nature being revealed to his loyal soldier, to him nearly attacking said soldier, he’s only glad that last night hadn’t ended in disaster.

He’d barely gotten much sleep after his talk with Renji, and this morning, Byakuya had woken up feeling so tired and emotionally drained that he’d decided not to do much training today. Instead, he’s going to take some time to recuperate and recover so that he doesn’t hurt himself from exhaustion.

A welcome, peaceful silence fills the gardens as Byakuya strolls alongside the stream, watching the koi fish swimming beneath the surface. Dressed in a plain-blue kimono with dark-blue hakama, his hair has been neatly combed up into a high ponytail as always.

However, despite the pleasant tranquility, his mind wanders back to last night’s events, namely his talk with Renji in the barracks, where he’d apologized and wept right before him.

He still can’t believe that Renji is willing to stay with him and assist him for the upcoming campaign, even after what he’d tried to do to him. He’d thought that Renji would be disgusted with him, would want nothing to do with him for trying to hurt him in such an intimate manner.

And yet, Byakuya is truly grateful that Renji is giving him another chance. Now he has to get his demonic side under control, so they’ll never experience another disaster like this ever again.

It’s not just that, though.

Byakuya wants to find the trespasser who has been hunting on his territory and give him the hell that he deserves. How he’s managed to hunt undetected on his territory for this long, he has no idea.

All he knows, though, is that he has to do a better job in making sure this land is safe for humans. He hasn’t done a very good job if the trespasser has been able to hunt humans so easily for this long, but he has no one else to blame but himself. 

All he can do to make it up is to hunt the trespasser and get rid of him once and for all.

His thoughts wander again, and when Byakuya finds himself thinking about his demonic side, he sighs quietly.

His demonic instincts have caused so much pain not only for himself, but for everyone else around him as well, especially this craving for human blood that afflicts him once every month. No other demon suffers from what he goes through, so Byakuya has felt incredibly alone and isolated from his family and from many other demons.

Right from a young age, he’s known that something is not right with this monthly craving of human blood, and it really hasn’t helped how his family would criticize him harshly for a condition he had no control over.

Many doctors and physicians had been summoned to take a look at Byakuya, to try and figure out what was wrong with him, but they’d all concluded that his instincts were just… different. 

Even then, Byakuya still remembers how his family and extended relatives had treated him differently afterwards. 

His grandfather had tried to get rid of that condition in him, but all attempts were failures. And with each failed attempt, his relatives had continued to treat him like an “other”, like he was some kind of anomaly in the family despite actually being the clan’s heir.

The only people who actually treated him well were the servants, the soldiers, and Rukia, Hisagi, and Hinamori, of course. Even now, they don’t treat him any differently, and Byakuya truly appreciates them for that.

Eventually, though, he’d had enough of being treated as a defective demon by others, and as soon as he was able to, Byakuya had started going on numerous campaigns against other demon clans, all to prove his strength and worth, that there is nothing wrong with him.

But for whom had he been trying to prove his worth and strength? Had he been trying to prove it to his family? Or himself?

Regardless, not even the campaigns had done anything to help. No matter how hard he’d tried to prove that there’s nothing wrong with him, each monthly craving had only reinforced it even further.

Just as Byakuya nears the wooden bridge that arches over the stream, he notices Renji sitting on the engawa porch that overlooks that part of the garden. His kosode is hanging on either side of his waist, exposing his muscular, tattooed chest, and his crimson hair is tied up in a high ponytail as always.

In his hands, he polishes and sharpens a katana.

Byakuya swallows at the sight of Renji’s bare chest, and his heart flutters at how peaceful he seems right now. It’s as if he’s forgotten about last night’s events.

Before he realizes what he’s doing, Byakuya walks towards Renji, crossing the bridge as he approaches him.

As if sensing his presence, Renji looks up from his katana and nods his head in greeting to Byakuya.

“Milord,” he greets him. “Why don’t you come and sit?” He gestures to the spot next to him.

With a nod, Byakuya approaches the porch and takes a seat next to Renji as he resumes polishing his katana.

“How are you feeling, Abarai?” he asks.

“I’m feeling fine,” Renji says with a shrug and a smile. “What about you, Kuchiki-dono?”

Byakuya just pauses. “I suppose I am,” he says. “I’ve just been thinking a lot.”

Silence hangs between them once more, and Byakuya slowly finds himself relaxing his shoulders as he folds his arms across his chest.

Sitting next to Renji right now, watching him polish and sharpen his katana… Byakuya feels so much more calm and at peace right now. Something about Renji’s presence is so soothing for Byakuya’s mind, and just sitting next to him gives him a sense of comfort that’s quite unfamiliar to him.

He’s never felt this calm or reassured until now, actually.

Byakuya glances over at Renji again, and raises an eyebrow slightly.

“What made you decide to start sharpening your katana?” he asks. “Are you worried about being attacked again?”

To his mild amusement, Renji’s cheeks blush red as he falters.

“N-No! That’s not why I’m doing this!” he protests.

Looking down, his ears burn as he answers. “I just… I wanted to make sure it wasn’t getting rusty…” he mumbles.

Byakuya nods, moving his gaze to the katana itself to take a look at it.

The blade looks sharp and well-forged; clearly an effective weapon in battle. Its tsuka is wrapped in a scarlet-coloured tsuka-ito, and the rectangular tsuba is made of bronze with a jagged design upon it. And resting at Renji’s side is the red sheath that holds it.

It’s quite an impressive weapon.

“Your katana looks quite fierce,” Byakuya praises. “Definitely worthy of its wielder.”

Renji’s cheeks seem to heat up again as he smiles slightly.

“You flatter me, milord,” he says. “Its name is Zabimaru, and it has served me well in every battle.”

_ So he has also named his katana? _ Byakuya thinks, pleasantly surprised.

“An impressive name,” Byakuya says. “My katana also bears its own name: ‘Senbonzakura’.”

“Like the castle?” Renji asks.

“Partly. But I’d named it as such because of the sakura trees that bloom in the castle gardens during the spring,” Byakuya explains. “It’s during the spring that the castle is at its most beautiful, in all honesty.”

A small smile plays at the corners of Renji’s lips. “You like sakura flowers?” he asks.

Byakuya just nods wistfully. “I do,” he says. “They would give me comfort when I was a child, especially whenever my family would criticize me.”

Renji regards him curiously.

With a sigh, Byakuya elaborates further.

“My monthly condition… I’m sure Rukia and Hinamori have already told you this, but it’s a rarity among demons,” he explains. “Because of how uncommon it is, my extended relatives would treat me as an anomaly, despite me being the heir. I’ve always felt that there was something wrong with me, and I hated it.”

Now he notices sadness in Renji’s eyes, and as much as it touches him, Byakuya isn’t telling this story for pity.

“Do not pity me, Abarai,” he tells him. “I do not need anyone’s pity.”

Silence hangs between them again, and now Byakuya suddenly feels a twinge of insecurity within him.

Why exactly has Renji decided to continue serving him? Yes, he’s grateful that he’s chosen to keep serving him, but even so, Byakuya can’t understand why he’d want to willingly serve a demon who had tried to hurt him in such an intimate manner.

“Abarai…” Byakuya says tentatively, staring down at his hands. “Why do you want to keep on serving me?”

Renji looks at him in surprise. “Milord?”

“Do not misunderstand; I’m truly grateful that you wish to continue,” Byakuya explains, “but even so, are you not scared for your life? Do you not worry about what could potentially happen to you, if… if something else goes wrong?”

Renji just looks at him with an unreadable expression, and Byakuya finds himself hesitating for a moment, wondering if he’d misspoken.

At last, he answers.

“I can see how lonely you are, milord,” Renji explains softly. “And it had been especially obvious last night, when you apologized to me. You were clearly crying out for help, and… and there’s no way I can just abandon someone who needs help that badly.”

Byakuya blinks in surprise.

Has… Has he really been that obvious? Is he really that broken from everything that’s happened to him?

“You seem to push everyone away out of fear of hurting them,” Renji continues. “But I can tell how much you’re hurting inside. You might be a demon, but you’re no less of a man, Kuchiki-dono.”

A tentative smile crosses his face. “I want to help you tame your demonic side,” he says. “I’ll do anything to make sure you can control it from now on.”

Renji’s words… they’re filled with so much warmth and sincerity that it makes Byakuya’s heart  _ hurt. _

Is… Is there really hope for him to control his demonic side? Can he really learn how to tame it with Renji’s help?

He hasn’t felt this hopeful in so long, and seeing the sincerity in Abarai’s eyes… Byakuya feels much warmer than ever.

“I thank you, Abarai Renji,” he says sincerely, turning to look at him. “I am honoured to receive your kindness.”

And when Renji smiles at him in response, Byakuya knows right then that there’s no way to deny his attraction to him; not just for his uniquely handsome and majestic looks, but also because of his warm, good heart.

Never before has Byakuya met a warrior with such a kind and idealistic heart, and he cannot deny how truly grateful he is to have someone like Renji as his personal soldier.

But if he wants Renji to stay forever, he cannot let his demonic instincts warp his attraction at all.

That’s exactly what happened last night, and Byakuya will be damned if he lets it happen again.

For Renji’s sake, he  _ must _ tame his demonic instincts.

And perhaps he should try and rebuild their rapport so they can truly move forward from last night.

Will Renji accept an invitation for something rather… intimate?

Swallowing slightly, Byakuya decides to try asking him.

“I hope I am not crossing any boundaries, Abarai…” Byakuya begins, getting his attention. “But I want to invite you to bathe with me and join me for dinner tonight.”

Renji’s hand freezes on the blade and he turns to look at Byakuya in surprise.

“You’re… You’re serious?” he asks.

Byakuya nods as he averts his gaze, feeling unusually shy. “Do not feel like you have to accept if you are uncomfortable,” he reassures him.

“I’m honoured to accept your invitation, milord,” Renji responds, looking a little… pleased?

Nevertheless, Byakuya’s heart feels a little lighter, and he nods in acceptance. “Thank you, Abarai,” he says, rising to his feet. “A servant will escort you to my private bath this evening, so I shall see you tonight.”

“I’ll see you too, milord,” Renji says.

And as he departs from the gardens, Byakuya can’t help but enjoy how pleasantly warm he feels right now.

* * *

Evening comes much quicker than expected, and Renji carries a burgundy yukata in his hands as he follows the servant to the private bathing chambers of Kuchiki-dono, his heart pounding against his chest as he takes in the vibrant fiery colours of the evening sky.

He still can’t believe Kuchiki-dono has actually invited him to a bath and dinner with him this evening.

Renji is no stranger to the communal bathing he’s done with his previous lords, but those baths had also been taken with the rest of the foot soldiers as well. Here in the Senbonzakura Castle, on the other hand, he’s bathed with Hisagi and the foot soldiers in a large communal bath, but Kuchiki-dono had never once joined them. 

For him to be invited to bathe with his lord, and to take dinner with him afterwards… it sounds rather  _ intimate, _ and Renji isn’t sure how exactly to feel about it.

But at the same time, he’d be lying if he says that he’s not looking forward to it.

“We’re here, Abarai-san,” the servant says, interrupting Renji’s thoughts.

Sure enough, they’ve arrived at the bathing chambers.

After thanking the servant, Renji slides the doors open to be met with a cloud of steam as he walks inside.

In the center of the bathing chamber is a large pool, where Kuchiki-dono sits immersed up to his bare, pale shoulders in the warm waters. His hair is damp and flowing freely, the tips brushing against the water’s surface as some stray strands remain plastered to his damp skin.

Renji’s mouth goes dry as he falters at the sight before him.

_ Goddamn… _

Kuchiki-dono looks up at him, his eyes calm and at peace.

“It’s good to see you here,” he welcomes him. “Make sure you wash yourself thoroughly before joining me.”

“Y-Yes, milord…” Renji stutters slightly as he turns and moves to a secluded area to change.

Once he’s removed his clothes, he washes himself thoroughly with soap and a bucket of warm water, even washing his hair out before rinsing and drying himself off.

Having cleaned himself, Renji makes his way to the bath and climbs into the water, sighing at the pleasant warmth as he sits down across from Kuchiki-dono.

“Thank you again for inviting me,” he says.

Kuchiki-dono nods, his eyes landing upon the interlocking tattoos on Renji’s pecs. “You’re very welcome,” he murmurs.

Renji’s cheeks heat up, and it’s certainly not from the heat of the water.

It occurs to him that this is the second time he’s seeing his lord in such a vulnerable, intimate manner. Last night had been the first time, but unlike then, there’s nothing to be afraid of.

And really, at least this time, he can actually admire how beautiful Kuchiki-dono is right now.

At the same time, Kuchiki-dono looks a little hesitant. His eyebrows are furrowed slightly, and he keeps on averting his eyes from Renji as he seems to consider something in his head.

“Are you alright with this, Abarai?” he asks. “Does bathing with me not bother you?”

There’s a double meaning in that question, and Renji knows exactly what he’s talking about.

With a gentle smile, Renji just shakes his head.

“Not at all, milord,” he says. “Not even last night can change that.”

While Kuchiki-dono looks a bit relieved, Renji finds himself thinking about last night; particularly what his lord had said to him when he’d been straddling him.

Is… Is Kuchiki-dono really that attracted to him? Or is he only attracted to his scent?

In all honesty, though, not even last night can change Renji’s attraction to Kuchiki-dono, and seeing him wet and naked in the bath certainly proves that.

But is it right for him to be attracted to him? Renji knows that many daimyo and samurai like to engage in intimate relationships with other men, and Kuchiki-dono doesn’t seem to be averse to such a tradition, but can he really be attracted to a peasant like himself?

Renji blinks in surprise.

What the hell is he thinking about? How can he be entertaining such thoughts about his lord when he’s sitting right across from him?

He sighs quietly, trying not to think about it any longer.

The rest of the bath goes by peacefully, and both Renji and Kuchiki-dono eventually leave and change into their comfortable evening clothes before the former follows his lord to the private dining room for dinner.

Renji kneels in proper seiza on one side of the table, as does Kuchiki-dono, and as they take their places, Hinamori enters and serves them some green tea in two cups.

“Abarai-san’s dinner will be here soon,” she tells them before departing.

By now, night is beginning to come in, and Renji feels a bit more relaxed right now. And strangely enough, Kuchiki-dono’s presence is rather calming for him.

A few moments later, Hinamori arrives with dinner, setting it down on the table for Renji before leaving again.

“Help yourself,” Kuchiki-dono encourages him.

Renji nods, taking some chopsticks and a bowl of rice, sashimi, and miso soup. With a word of thanks, he begins eating.

However, it isn’t long before he notices that Kuchiki-dono does not touch any of the food in front of him.

“You’re not eating?” he asks.

Kuchiki-dono shakes his head. “I cannot,” he says. “Because I’m a demon, regular human food tastes bad for me and weakens me. I can only consume animal and human blood once a month.”

“Oh…”

Renji can’t help but feel bad for Kuchiki-dono. He can’t imagine not being able to eat regular food; he’d probably go mad.

But it does make sense. In fact, he recalls the mornings of the past while, when he’d noticed how none of the foot soldiers would eat breakfast. Hell, even Hisagi had never seemed to eat anything in the past.

As if reading his mind, Kuchiki-dono nods. “Hisagi, Hinamori, and Rukia… none of them can have human food as well,” he says. “But they’re like most demons, who consume animal flesh once a month.”

Renji nods, intrigued. 

These demons… they’re quite fascinating, in all honesty.

“How strong are you demons?” he asks.

Kuchiki-dono takes a sip of tea before answering.

“It all depends,” he says. “Demons like myself, who are born into noble families, are already gifted with immense power and dark force. As for demons like Hisagi and Hinamori, who are born into peasant families, their powers aren’t as strong, but they can get stronger with training.”

“I see…”

Renji recalls the sparring session in the past, when Kuchiki-dono had injured him with his bokken, and frowns slightly. Now that he thinks about it, his lord had been quite strong, as if imbued with an inhuman strength, despite it being only training.

“Remember that sparring session, milord?” he asks. “You know, when you injured me?”

Kuchiki-dono raises an eyebrow, but nods. “Yes, I remember,” he says.

“Now it makes sense as to why you were so strong,” Renji says. “That had been your demonic strength, right?”

His lord’s eyes become more wistful now.

“No, actually,” he says. “I had been holding myself back. What you’d witnessed was barely a fraction of my power. Had I used my true strength against you… you would’ve been killed.”

Renji stares at him, stunned.

That had only been a mere  _ fraction _ of his true strength? Well… Kuchiki-dono must be truly powerful if he’d only been holding back.

Yet this knowledge doesn’t scare Renji at all. In fact… he wants to see more of his strength.

“I’d like to see your powers one day, Kuchiki-dono,” Renji says with a smile. “I’m sure they would be spectacular.”

Kuchiki-dono looks disbelieving for a moment, but at last, he nods.

“I suppose I could show you one day,” he concedes.

The rest of dinner goes by pleasantly. Renji engages in some small talk with Kuchiki-dono, who seems rather shy whenever he responds in kind, and something about his formidably strong and elegant daimyo acting so shy… it’s rather cute, in all honesty.

Once dinner is finished, Renji is escorted to the doors by Kuchiki-dono, who is still acting shy and hesitant.

“Thank you for joining me tonight, Abarai,” he murmurs. “I truly appreciate it.”

Renji smiles warmly. “You’re welcome, milord,” he says.

When Kuchiki-dono doesn’t respond, Renji raises an eyebrow and glances at him.

He looks rather nervous right now, and Renji can’t help but feel concerned.

“Are… Are you alright, milord?” he asks.

Suddenly, before he can blink, Kuchiki-dono leans up and silences him with a kiss upon his lips.

Renji’s eyes widen in shock, and for a moment, he’s too frozen to respond. But eventually, instinct takes over, and he succumbs to his lord’s soft and hesitant lips as he tentatively begins to kiss back.

But the kiss is far too brief, and Kuchiki-dono pulls away, his cheeks flushed red.

“Kuchiki-dono…” Renji whispers, his ears burning as his lips tingle pleasantly.

“I apologize for doing that,” Kuchiki-dono murmurs guiltily.

_ Wait, why are you apologizing? _

Before he can say anything else, Kuchiki-dono turns away. “Goodnight, Abarai,” he says. “I shall see you tomorrow.”

With that, he walks away down the hall.

Slowly, Renji turns around and exits the tower, his heart beating a little faster as he makes his way to the barracks, his hand slowly reaching up to his lips.

And as he walks down the path, that’s when he realizes that his whole body tingles from head to toe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so they've kissed! Honestly, I liked writing Byakuya as nervous and shy and tentative in this chapter, especially with how shy he behaves towards Renji. He's so adorable when he's shy and flustered, haha!
> 
> Please let me know how I did, and have a good one!


	11. Forest of Discovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Byakuya and Renji come to terms with their strange feelings for one another in the midst of an investigation in the forest, just as they come face to face with the phantom killer himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's Chapter 11, one that's got plenty of sweet moments, as well as some suspense.
> 
> I hope you all enjoy!

Byakuya rolls onto his side, a sigh escaping his lips. No matter how hard he tries, sleep continues to evade him. Never before has the silence of his chambers felt so loud until now.

And it doesn’t help that his mind is still stuck on what happened after dinner several hours ago.

How could he have done something so reckless like that? To kiss Renji the day after he’d tried to drain him of his blood… it’s almost unthinkable. And for him to have done that without even considering Renji’s feelings on the matter is even worse.

Unlike the previous night, when he’d been under the influence of his demonic side, Byakuya had very much been in control of his actions when kissing Renji this time.

His lips had felt so warm against his own, and his scent had almost wrapped around him in a comforting, loving embrace. Byakuya truly couldn’t help himself, especially since Renji had looked so handsome right then.

But what will Renji think of him now? Will he even want anything to do with him?

It’ll be a miracle if Renji doesn’t hate him for real after that, in all honesty.

Turning onto his side, Byakuya stares at the empty spot in his futon; the side where Hisana used to sleep when she’d been alive. A sigh escapes his lips again as his heart begins to ache once more.

Ever since her death, this whole futon has felt so cold. And never before has Byakuya longed for a comforting warmth and presence next to him so much until now.

Will Renji be willing to love him, though? Would he be willing to sleep in the same futon as him?

He’s not sure how he’d feel if Renji were to hate him after this. Byakuya wouldn’t blame him, of course, and if he doesn’t want to serve him any longer, then he wouldn’t force him to.

But at the same time, the very thought of Renji hating him is much too painful for Byakuya to even think about. There’s no way he’d be able to endure being hated by a man he’s grown to care so much about.

Yes, he doesn’t even care about Renji being a man. After all, there have been many daimyo and samurai who have engaged in  _ nanshoku, _ or intimate relations with other men; in fact, Byakuya himself had been a  _ chigo _ for his mentor when he was a teenager, at least until he’d met Hisana.

Considering Renji’s reactions that night, when Byakuya had almost drunk his blood, it’s evident that he’s never had such relations with his previous lords, or with any other samurai.

The thought of being Renji’s first experience in that kind of relationship is almost thrilling.

Even so, Byakuya doesn’t want just the physical and sexual aspects of that kind of bond with Renji. He wants something much deeper than just erotic and physical desire and attraction.

What he wants… he wants something like what he’d had with Hisana.

There’s no way that Byakuya can deny how his feelings for Renji run much deeper than he’d thought, but does Renji even feel the same way for him?

Byakuya blinks, staring up at the ceiling as he realizes what he’s thinking.

_ What is wrong with me? _ He thinks to himself.  _ I sound like a hopelessly lovesick girl! _

And indeed he is. Ruminating on Abarai Renji like a woman pining for her beloved, instead of behaving like a daimyo and a demon of a high-ranking clan… it’s unbelievable.

He can’t afford to be thinking like this right now. Not when there is a battle coming up and a trespasser to deal with.

_ Speaking of the trespasser…  _ Byakuya frowns thoughtfully.

Perhaps he should invite Renji to come with him and hunt down the trespasser tomorrow, by way of apology. Maybe then he’ll be able to restore at least a bit of their potentially ruined relationship.

Tomorrow, he’ll relay the message to Renji. And hopefully, he will accept the offer.

With that, Byakuya turns over and closes his eyes, hoping for sleep to wash over him soon.

* * *

The next morning comes all too soon, but Byakuya manages to feel a bit more fresh when he wakes up. Once he gets dressed for the day, he sends Hinamori to send a summons to Renji for him to come to his private study after his morning meal.

As he waits for Renji in the study, Byakuya just practices his calligraphy to try and calm himself down. Even so, as he elegantly paints the familiar kanji on his mulberry paper, he still feels a little anxious.

He’s still quite unsure as to what Renji might think of him right now, but hopefully he’ll at least be willing to listen to him and the offer he has in mind.

It doesn’t take too long for Renji to arrive, and Byakuya sets down his brush as he hears the door slide open.

“Good morning,” Renji greets him, bowing before closing the door behind him. “You wished to see me, Kuchiki-dono?”

Byakuya nods. “As a matter of fact, I did,” he says, his voice as cool and firm as always.

Much to his relief, there’s no trace of anger or disgust on Renji’s face at all. Even so, Byakuya isn’t exactly sure what to make of it.

Nevertheless, he hides his discomfort and presses on.

“I want to make a request of you,” Byakuya tells him. “I plan on searching for the trespasser today in the forest, and I would like you to accompany me as well.”

Renji regards him in slight surprise.

“Are… Are you sure, milord?” he asks.

Byakuya nods. “I’m sure that you are quite familiar with the forest as well,” he says. “Your help would be much appreciated.”

He looks down, waiting for Renji’s response.

After a moment, he finally answers.

“I’ll come with you,” Renji tells him. “Besides, I’d like to rain hell upon the bastard that’s been preying on us for all these years.”

Something about that answer makes Byakuya’s heart feel a little lighter. There it is, that passionate, fiery spirit that he’s grown to love so much about Renji.

“Very well,” Byakuya says, unable to hide the fondness from his voice. Though it doesn’t take too long for him to become serious again.

“Make sure you bring your katana,” he advises, rising to his feet. “It’s best if you keep it with you, just in case. Furthermore, Hisagi will also be accompanying us on our search. He’s a capable soldier, and it would be best to have him with us in case something goes wrong.”

Renji just nods in agreement. “Very well, milord.”

“Good.” Byakuya begins to approach the doors. “Get yourself ready and wait by the stables for us.”

“Yes, milord.”

As he gets himself ready, however, Byakuya can’t help but feel even more afraid about the lack of reaction from Renji. He hasn’t seen any anger or disgust towards him, and as relieved as he feels, he’s not too sure just how he feels about it.

What does Renji think of him right now? Is he just hiding his disgust towards him? Does he  _ hate _ him now?

Byakuya sighs softly as he ties his hair up into a high ponytail.

He can’t help but feel as though he had been cursed from birth. Every time he tries to get close to someone, they always abandon him in the end.

His father, his mentor, his grandfather, Hisana… they’d all left him. He’d opened up to them, let himself be vulnerable, and they’d all abandoned him, one way or another. The only people who haven’t abandoned him are Hisagi, Hinamori, and Rukia, and even then, Byakuya can’t help but be afraid that they’ll grow tired of him and leave him as well.

And what about Renji? Will he leave him, too?

The very thought sends a sharp ache through Byakuya’s heart, and he gingerly places his hand over his chest as he swallows the lump in his throat before staring at himself in the mirror.

_ Why must I do this to myself? _ He wonders bitterly as he turns to retrieve Senbonzakura.  _ When will I be allowed to have even a glimpse of happiness in my life? _

Shaking his head, Byakuya just makes his way towards the stables, where Renji should be waiting for him.

* * *

The forest is thick and green as always, and apart from the chirping of birds and the occasional rustling of leaves from the lazy breeze, the air is silent and calm for the most part.

Renji takes a deep breath to inhale the fresh forest air as he, Hisagi, and Kuchiki-dono climb off their horses and tie the reins to some trees near the forest entrance.

Since there are still some residual traces of dark force lingering in certain parts of the forest, they go and investigate those areas first in the hopes of finding a pattern or trail of sorts left by the trespasser.

However, the trespasser has left multiple trails of dark force in the forest, so Hisagi decides to investigate on his own, leaving Renji and Kuchiki-dono to investigate another part of the forest together.

Silence hangs between the both of them as they make their way through the forest.

But even though he tries to keep his eyes sharp on the lookout, Renji can’t stop his mind from wandering to the previous night; namely, the kiss that Kuchiki-dono had given him after dinner.

It had been so sudden, and Renji really hadn’t been prepared for it at all. However, despite how it had caught him by surprise, he can still feel that pleasant, lingering warmth within him; the same one from last night.

He’d be lying if he said that he didn’t like the kiss, but even so, Renji still doesn’t know just what exactly had compelled his lord to kiss him like that.

A part of him is telling him not to let his guard down so easily. After all, it had only been the night before last when Kuchiki-dono had been under the influence of his demonic side and had tried to drink his blood. 

What if he’s trying to seduce him into letting his guard down?

Renji frowns slightly. No, that certainly can’t be the case.

If Kuchiki-dono had been trying to seduce him, the kiss would’ve definitely been more provocative and suggestive, and he probably would’ve been more obvious in his seduction attempt. Last night, however, Renji had felt a sincere tentativeness in the kiss; one that had been truly endearing to him, in all honesty.

For his lord to be kissing him so shyly and hesitantly like how he’d done… it’s so adorable.

But in addition to the kiss, Renji also recalls the loneliness and guilt he’d seen in Kuchiki-dono’s eyes afterwards.

For the first time in his life, Renji actually wants to get close to his lord, to help him open up to him. Yes, Kuchiki-dono might be a fearsome, powerful demon, but he’d looked so vulnerable last night, that Renji can’t help the protective instinct he feels towards him.

Even now, Kuchiki-dono seems rather reluctant and nervous in his presence. He might try and hide it, but Renji can practically feel it radiating from him.

_ How can I get you to open up to me, Kuchiki-dono? _ He wonders to himself.  _ Can you bring yourself to trust me with your heart? _

Perhaps he should just tentatively bring it up to him, just to try and alleviate whatever tension and awkwardness lingers within him. And fortunately, since Hisagi is investigating elsewhere, he won’t be able to overhear them.

“Milord…” he begins.

Kuchiki-dono glances at him. “What is it, Abarai?” he asks. “Did you sense something yet?”

Renji shakes his head. “No, it’s not that,” he says. “I wanted to talk about last night.”

“Right.” Kuchiki-dono stops in his tracks and looks down at the forest floor, his hands clasping uncomfortably. “What about it?”

Something about how nervous he looks makes Renji’s heart flutter a little. Seeing his lord, the graceful and peerless Kuchiki Byakuya, acting so shy like a village boy, it’s rather…  _ cute. _

Banishing such a thought from his mind, Renji pushes on.

“Well, I just wanted to ask some questions about it, that’s all.” He glances at Kuchiki-dono, not unkindly. “I want to know where exactly do we stand now? And also… why did you kiss me, milord?”

Surprise flickers through Kuchiki-dono’s eyes for a moment, but he quickly composes himself once more.

“You’re… You’re not angry with me?” he asks tentatively. “After what I did to you when I was…” He trails off, not wanting to finish that sentence.

Not that he needs to. Renji knows full well what he’s talking about.

“No, not at all,” Renji reassures him. Besides, he can’t get mad at his lord for such a sweetly hesitant kiss. “I’m just curious about why you kissed me, that’s all.”

Nodding slowly, Kuchiki-dono just folds his arms across his chest as he takes a deep breath.

“I… I’m not too sure, in all honesty,” he admits. “It’s just that I’ve never met a human as unique or intriguing like you, not since Hisana.”

Well, that’s quite the praise, actually. For a demon to find someone like Renji intriguing… it’s rather flattering.

He’d never thought a demon would actually see humans as interesting.

And that’s when Renji notices a faint smile on Kuchiki-dono’s face. It’s so tiny, but something about it makes his heart flutter again.

“I know this might sound ridiculous, but the more time I spend with you, the more I’ve come to admire you, Abarai,” Kuchiki-dono confesses, looking up at him. “You fascinate me so much.”

Renji’s cheeks heat up quickly.

“You… You flatter me, milord,” he murmurs.

Kuchiki-dono nods slowly before continuing. “You make me feel so many emotions that I have not felt in so long,” he says. “In fact, these emotions are so unfamiliar now, and it… it’s almost terrifying.”

He sighs quietly. “And yet, when I’m with you… I feel so warm,” he finishes. “And it feels so wonderful, that I want to feel more of it.”

Then, Kuchiki-dono regards him with an earnest pleading in his eyes.

“I beg of you, Abarai… please help me understand these feelings,” he implores.

Renji’s heart practically soars, and he can’t stop the smile that slowly crosses his face right then.

He also feels warm when he’s with Kuchiki-dono, and to know that the feeling is very much mutual… no words can describe the joy he feels.

And for his beautiful, dignified daimyo to reach out to him in the hopes of understanding these feelings… well, how can he say no?

Unable to stop himself, Renji steps forth and takes Kuchiki-dono’s wrist before pulling him close for a warm hug.

Kuchiki-dono stiffens slightly in his arms, and for a moment, he’s too stunned to even react. But slowly, he circles his arms around Renji’s back before leaning into the embrace, earning a soft smile from him.

“I feel the same way, milord,” Renji tells him gently, pulling away from the embrace so he can properly look at him. “I want to understand these feelings better. Will you help me as well?”

His words elicit a blush in his lord’s cheeks, much to Renji’s fond amusement.

_ Oh, he really is too damn adorable…  _ He thinks.

“It… It would be an honour, Abarai,” Kuchiki-dono tells him, a tentative smile crossing his face. “I’ll also help you out.”

Now it’s Renji’s turn to blush, particularly at his lord’s smile.

The way his eyes soften a little, the way his face brightens up, and the way he looks so gentle and sweet… he really is beautiful when he smiles.

And Renji definitely wouldn’t mind seeing that smile more often.

“Thank you,” Kuchiki-dono whispers gently. “Will you promise me that you won’t leave?”

Renji nods. “I won’t leave, milord,” he promises. “I swear on my life.”

Slowly, he reaches out and softly caresses Kuchiki-dono’s cheek with his hand. Almost immediately, Kuchiki-dono leans into his touch, and Renji can’t help the way his heart beats faster at such an affectionate response.

Suddenly, the moment is interrupted by a flare of dark force from a distance.

Renji tenses up and withdraws his hand, turning to the direction of the dark force along with Kuchiki-dono.

“It’s Hisagi,” Kuchiki-dono tells him, his voice urgent. “He’s calling for us. Let’s go.”

“Right.”

The both of them quickly rush towards Hisagi’s dark force, unsheathing their katanas in the process.

As they draw closer to Hisagi, Renji keeps his eyes peeled, glancing at the trees to look out for any potential phantom attackers.

It isn’t long before they begin to near a clearing, where Hisagi stands in a defensive stance, his katana at the ready. But as they draw closer to the clearing, Renji’s stomach clenches slightly, the skin on his nape prickling.

He’s not sure what’s going on, but he’s got a bad feeling that only seems to get stronger the closer they get to the clearing.

When they finally emerge and join Hisagi, both Renji and Kuchiki-dono brandish their katanas at the ready, staying alert for any oncoming attackers.

“What happened, Hisagi?” Kuchiki-dono asks.

“I sensed a familiar presence here, milord,” Hisagi explains. “It’s the same one that attacked you recently, and the one that has been leaving trails in this forest. It’s also quite strong, so I believed that I would need some assistance in dealing with the intruder.”

Renji frowns as he detects a trail of that dark force.

_ Is this…?  _

“In fact, this is definitely the same creature that got to Unohana Retsu the other night,” Hisagi adds.

_ Wait, what?! _ Renji’s eyes widen in shock, and he turns to Hisagi.

“Unohana-san was attacked?” he repeats urgently. “What the hell happened to her? Who attacked her?”

How come he didn’t know about this earlier? Just what the hell happened that night?

Hisagi tenses up, as if realizing his slip-up. Likewise, Kuchiki-dono just averts his eyes.

His patience thins even further, and Renji grits his teeth.

“What aren’t you telling me, Hisagi?” he demands. “What happened to Unohana-san? Is she still alive?! Answer me, dammit!”

_ “Yes, Hisagi Shuuhei.” _ An unfamiliar voice rings out from the forest, sly and lilting.  _ “Why don’t you answer him?” _

Renji stiffens slightly, his skin prickling again. Kuchiki-dono narrows his eyes as he looks around himself, and Hisagi also tenses up again.

_ Who the hell is that?  _ Renji thinks.

He tenses up as the dark force draws nearer. It feels so strong, much more stifling as well, and it’s as if a set of claws is pressed against his throat.

Beads of sweat slide down his temples, and he swallows instinctively.

“Who are you?” Kuchiki-dono demands. “Show yourself, you scoundrel!”

A sly chuckle echoes from the depths of the forest again. 

_ “My, my…” _ the voice taunts, now sounding a bit closer.  _ “I thought you would be smarter than this, Kuchiki Byakuya. To bring a human into a demon’s fight… that’s rather reckless of you.” _

Right then, a tall and lean figure emerges from the shadows of the forest into the clearing, almost gliding with each step he takes.

Renji stares at the newcomer, astonished.

_ Another demon…  _ He realizes.

The male demon has wavy, shoulder-length black hair, and his thin figure is clothed in a beige kosode. His eyes glow red, and an old scar runs vertically along the side of his left eye. Protruding from his head are two horns, much like the ones that Kuchiki-dono possesses, and his fingernails are elongated into sharp claws. At his waist is a katana, though it seems like he might not need it, considering how sharp his claws are.

He smiles at them, fangs peeking from his mouth, and his hands are then surrounded by some kind of dark-coloured energy.

A chill runs down Renji’s spine as he takes in how familiar his dark force feels, and then his eyes narrow in realization.

There’s no doubt as to who this creature is. This is the same phantom killer behind all the deaths in the village… and the same one who attacked Unohana.

The very thought makes Renji’s blood boil. “You…” he growls lowly.

“Abarai, don’t…” Hisagi tries to warn him.

The demon glances over at Renji, raising an eyebrow. “So this is the human that’s serving Kuchiki Byakuya?” he says nonchalantly. “Well, this is quite unexpected.”

“Cut the crap right now!” Renji snarls, pointing his katana at him. “You’re the one who’s been killing in my village! Who the hell are you, you bastard?!”

Once more, the demon smiles slyly.

“My name is Tsukishima Shukuro,” he introduces himself. “And I am the personal warrior of Ginjo Kugo-sama, the current head of the Ginjo Clan.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -Nanshoku is a term used to describe male-to-male sexual relations in pre-modern Japan, and yes, there were indeed sexual and intimate relationships between daimyo and samurai.
> 
> And with that, this chapter is finished! Things will be starting to pick up now, especially since the trespasser has finally revealed himself, so be prepared!
> 
> Please let me know how I did, and have a good one!


	12. The Phantom Killer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the ensuing fight against Tsukishima Shukuro, Renji learns not just the reasons behind the attacks, but also about a rather unique aspect of demons that he'd never known before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's Chapter 12! I'll admit, this one gave me a bit of trouble, but I've managed to finally write it up!
> 
> I hope you all enjoy!

Tsukishima’s words ring in Renji’s mind as he regards him in disbelief.

The personal warrior of the Ginjo Clan leader himself? Is he actually serious? Is he really the one behind all the mysterious deaths in the village?

Renji glances back at Hisagi and Kuchiki-dono, and sure enough, they look just as stunned.

However, the surprise on Kuchiki-dono’s face quickly shifts to anger, his eyes narrowing as he flares his dark force powerfully.

While Tsukishima is seemingly unaffected, save for the way he trembles slightly, Renji feels his throat closing up and his chest tightening as beads of sweat slide down his temples. It’s almost impossible to breathe beneath such immense power his lord radiates.

Nevertheless, he tries to hold himself firm as he watches Kuchiki-dono step forth, glaring coldly at Tsukishima.

“How long have you been trespassing in the territory of the Kuchiki Clan?” Kuchiki-dono demands sharply.

Tsukishima just raises an eyebrow in amusement. “You sound quite angry, Kuchiki Byakuya,” he observes. “For all your aloofness, you seem to be quite volatile beneath it all. You need to be more careful, though. Such anger won’t get you anywhere, and it’ll only hurt those you care about.”

Kuchiki-dono’s eyes widen for a moment, and Renji can’t help but notice how he falters for a moment.

No doubt, that remark had hit a nerve.

“Such foolish words you speak, Tsukishima Shukuro,” Kuchiki-dono tells him, brandishing his katana. “You will regret your insolence.”

Immediately, he charges towards Tsukishima with Senbonzakura raised for the kill. However, Tsukishima anticipates this, and he unsheathes his own katana just in time to block the strike.

Sparks fly as their blades clash, and Kuchiki-dono quickly manages to push Tsukishima back a few steps. In response, Tsukishima just swings his blade in a horizontal arc, only for Kuchiki-dono to swiftly avoid the attack by disappearing in a flash, then quickly reappearing behind Tsukishima.

Kuchiki-dono then ducks forward, trying to cleave Tsukishima’s legs from behind, only for him to notice it at the last second and swiftly get away with a small, bleeding slice to his legs.

But not even that is enough to make him falter.

As the two demons continue to duel, Renji can’t help but watch in amazement.

This is his first time seeing Kuchiki-dono in an actual fight, and never has it been more clear as to how he’s earned his legendary reputation.

Kuchiki-dono is graceful and elegant in his movements and attacks, using the katana as if it were an extension of himself, and he is quick and agile in both avoiding and delivering attacks. In fact, he doesn’t even think of holding back at all. And yet he manages to be both flawlessly elegant and lethal and precise in every movement and attack of his.

What’s even more fascinating is how even though Kuchiki-dono is not even in his demonic form, he’s managing to hold himself firm against Tsukishima’s demonic-imbued attacks.

But it isn’t long before Kuchiki-dono’s eyes begin to glow red, and his attacks start to become a bit more vicious than normal. His dark force flares slightly, and that’s when Renji sees it.

Surrounding Kuchiki-dono’s hands is a strange aura coloured pure white, and it seems to be imbuing into his katana as well.

There’s no doubt as to what that aura is. Even though its colour is as white as snow, its sheer heaviness and pressure make it clear that it is Kuchiki-dono’s dark force. And somehow, the force being imbued into the blade has made Kuchiki-dono’s attacks even stronger than before.

However, Tsukishima is just as relentless in his attacks, no thanks to his demonic strength. He fights Kuchiki-dono with the cunning wit of a fox, and is just as nimble and quick in his movements.

His strength is practically on-par with Kuchiki-dono’s, though this does nothing to deter him. But as the fight goes on, Renji starts to worry for his lord, feeling helpless in just standing aside and watching them.

_ How long must I stand and watch them?  _ He thinks, forcing himself to stand still. 

He knows he shouldn’t worry for Kuchiki-dono, but he can’t help it.

With that, he glances at Hisagi, whose expression is grave as he watches the fight.

“Hisagi…” he says, getting his attention. “Shouldn’t we try and help him out?”

“We cannot,” he says firmly. “It’s useless to intervene. This is Kuchiki-dono’s fight, and it is a fight of honour. To intervene in his fight would be a stain upon his pride.”

Hisagi then glances at him. “Besides, you are only human, Abarai,” he reminds him. “You might be strong, but you’re no match for someone like Tsukishima Shukuro.”

Renji clenches his fists in frustration, but nods somberly.

As much as he hates to just stand back and watch, Hisagi is very much right. He might’ve duelled against Kuchiki-dono in the past, but that had only been training. There’s no way he’ll be able to survive an actual fight against a demon.

Even so, he can’t stop himself from feeling anxious for Kuchiki-dono as the fight continues.

It isn’t long before Tsukishima gives Kuchiki-dono a taunting smirk.

“Is that all you have, Kuchiki Byakuya?” he taunts. “You’re not even using your full powers right now. Are you too afraid to use them against me?”

Kuchiki-dono narrows his eyes. “I do not show my full powers to unworthy ruffians,” he responds coldly. “Especially those who serve a clan as corrupt as the Ginjo Clan.”

Tsukishima’s eyes harden, all amusement gone now. “You’re going to regret saying that,” he warns him. “I won’t allow anyone to speak ill of my daimyo.”

He disappears in a flash, then swiftly reappears right behind Kuchiki-dono, catching him off-guard as he turns around too late. 

Then, Tsukishima slashes his blade diagonally over Kuchiki-dono’s torso.

Kuchiki-dono collapses to the ground, clutching his wound and grunting in pain as his hair falls free from his ponytail.

“Kuchiki-dono!” Renji shouts, rushing over to him immediately and crouching down next to him.

“Abarai…” Kuchiki-dono murmurs, moving his hair away from his face as Renji helps him sit up. “What are you-”

“Are you alright?” Renji interrupts as he checks over him in concern.

Kuchiki-dono nods. “I’m alright,” he says. “Just stand back, Abarai. Don’t try and interfere.”

Even though Renji obeys, slowly rising to his feet, he can’t help the surge of anger that rushes through him as he turns to look at Tsukishima.

This is the very same man who has been preying on his village for many years now; the one who has killed his parents, killed Unohana’s husband and son, and tried to prey upon her… he can’t just stand aside any longer.

Renji brandishes Zabimaru at Tsukishima, who merely raises an eyebrow in amusement.

“Don’t tell me you plan to take me on next, human,” Tsukishima taunts.

“Like hell I am,” Renji snarls. “How long have you been killing in my village for, you bastard? And why the hell did you target Unohana?”

“Oh?” Tsukishima’s voice is amused.

“Why the hell did you kill all those people?!” Renji demands, his patience growing thin. “Do you know how many lives you’ve torn apart?! Because of you, we’ve suffered for so many years now!”

Tsukishima simply smirks at his rant. It takes a lot of self-control for Renji to not go over and wipe that smirk off his face; that and the knowledge that Tsukishima could probably kill him.

“Why, you ask?” he repeats. “To begin with, this territory was never originally the Kuchiki Clan’s territory.”

“What?!” Renji falters.

“Yes, you heard that right,” Tsukishima says, his lips curling into a snarl. “It used to belong to the Ginjo Clan… at least until Kuchiki Ginrei stole it from them and made the Ginjo Clan leader commit seppuku over six hundred years ago!”

Renji stares at him, stunned.

This conflict is far longer than he’d thought it was. For it to be over six hundred years ago, during the height of the imperial court in Heian-kyo, long before he himself had even been  _ born…  _

“Don’t you dare act like the Ginjo Clan was innocent back then,” Kuchiki-dono snaps, interrupting Renji’s thoughts. “They were tyrants who plotted to overthrow Daigo-tenno and mistreated the peasants on their land, and my grandfather liberated them from their cruelty!”

Hisagi nods in agreement. “The Ginjo Clan’s leader was cruel and power-hungry, and Kuchiki Ginrei was right to make him commit seppuku,” he says darkly. “Otherwise, they would’ve toppled Daigo-tenno himself.”

“And you still haven’t answered my other question,” Renji adds impatiently. “Why were you targeting Unohana?!”

Tsukishima regards him in surprise. “My, my…” he says. “So it seems he hasn’t told you yet.”

“Told me what?!” He’s getting sick of these games.

“Well, let me ask you something, Abarai Renji,” Tsukishima tells him. “Haven’t you ever wondered why Kuchiki Byakuya, a demon clan leader, would get you, a human samurai, to become his personal warrior?”

_ What?! _ Renji’s eyes widen in shock, and he slowly lowers Zabimaru as realization sinks in.

Tsukishima is right. Now that he thinks about it, something about that is rather off, especially considering how powerful Kuchiki-dono is. So just why did he choose a human as his personal warrior?

“Oh, you poor thing,” Tsukishima coos mockingly. “Seems like you really are clueless.”

“Don’t listen to him, Abarai!” Hisagi shouts, only to have a blast of dark force shot at him, shutting him up instantly.

Turning back to Renji, Tsukishima continues speaking.

“Both you and Unohana Retsu are of a very rare kind of humans,” Tsukishima begins, lowering his blade. “Humans like you have the ability to detect dark force and spiritual phenomena all around you, while most remain ignorant to such occurrences. Furthermore, humans with your abilities typically become miko, kannushi, or onmyoji. But you, Abarai Renji, are one of the very few who has become a samurai.”

Just where the hell is Tsukishima going with this?

“Even more, humans with your abilities are strong enough to harness demonic powers when they create a bond with a demon,” Tsukishima continues. “Their dark force will combine with that of a demon, and they both become even stronger than they ever were before.” His eyes glint maliciously. “And such a bond is absolutely vital in battle, of course.”

Renji is frozen in shock, his heart pounding against his chest as Tsukishima’s words register in his mind.

Is… Is he serious? Can humans and demons really form bonds like that?

He turns to look at Hisagi and Kuchiki-dono, so many questions roiling within him as he takes notice of how troubled they both look. 

Is that why he’d been taken in by them? To make that bond with Kuchiki-dono and make sure he can harness his powers? 

“I pity you for being so unaware, Abarai Renji,” Tsukishima says insincerely. “But to answer your question, that’s exactly why I was going after Unohana. I was going to take her to Ginjo-dono, and he would train her to be loyal to him before creating that bond with her. And if she refused, well… he would simply drain her of her powers and life.”

_ Why, you bastard…  _ Renji grits his teeth, forcing his anger down. To hear that they planned to abduct and  _ brainwash _ Unohana… it’s disgusting.

But why hasn’t Kuchiki-dono told him about it all this time? Did he forget? Or did he think it to be unnecessary?

“You seem rather troubled. Are you already beginning to question your loyalty to Kuchiki Byakuya?” Tsukishima asks.

Renji just turns back to Kuchiki-dono, only to see him looking down with worry in his eyes.

_ Why do you look so worried, milord?  _ He can’t help but think.

“What do you even get out of serving a demon, Abarai Renji?” Tsukishima continues, his voice sly and taunting. “Especially one with problems like Kuchiki Byakuya? I’m sure you’ve already witnessed his other side during the full moon, so why do you serve him still?”

“Abarai, don’t let him get to you!” Hisagi shouts.

Ice forms in Renji’s stomach as his hands tremble slightly. Tsukishima’s voice washes over him, and he can’t even bring himself to move.

The more questions Tsukishima bombards him with, the greater his confusion becomes.

“I can already see the doubt in your eyes,” Tsukishima taunts. “I can already see the questions you’re asking yourself. ‘Did my lord even care about me?’, ‘Was he using me for more power?’.”

Renji shakes his head, trying not to let his words get to him.  _ What should I do? What is he trying to do to me? _

“Abarai?”

Right then, Kuchiki-dono’s voice, filled with concern, pierces through the fog in his head. “What are you thinking?”

And just like that, Renji’s hands stop trembling.

He remembers the fearful atmosphere that had constantly been hanging over the village, the heartache and pain of the villagers who have lost loved ones, all those mangled corpses in the forest…

This bastard is the reason behind the collective trauma of the village. And he expects Renji to actually  _ listen _ to him?

Barely paying attention to Tsukishima now, Renji tightens his grip on Zabimaru’s hilt and steps forth to him, cutting him off with a diagonal slash of his blade over Tsukishima’s torso.

“Wha-?!” Tsukishima staggers back in shock, blood spilling out of the cut as he stares at Renji in surprise.

Renji lifts his head up to glare at him. “I’ve already made my choice to serve Kuchiki-dono, you son of a bitch,” he snarls. “And I ain’t gonna be listening to the one who’s been preying on my village, so you can just shut the hell up and die.”

* * *

Watching Renji stand up for himself against Tsukishima’s poisonous words… Byakuya can’t help but enjoy the way his heart feels a bit lighter now.

Of course he wouldn’t listen to him. Renji’s confidence and faith is much too strong to let him listen and succumb to the words of someone as manipulative as him.

This is enough to make Byakuya stand up once more, ignoring the pain from his wound while brandishing Senbonzakura as he strides towards Tsukishima.

“Abarai, Hisagi, stand back,” he orders firmly, watching as they both step back before turning his attention back to Tsukishima.

“Looks like you’re back,” Tsukishima remarks, amused. “What a pleasant surprise, Kuchiki Byakuya.”

Narrowing his eyes, Byakuya refuses to let himself react. “Where is Ginjo Kugo?” he demands. “Does he even know about you preying on the village for so long?”

“But of course he does,” Tsukishima responds with a sly smile. “Ginjo-dono was the one who gave me the orders in the first place. In fact… he and his men are already marching down for battle.”

Byakuya’s eyes widen slightly, his heart beating even faster in shock.

_ They’re already on their way?! _

Likewise, Renji and Hisagi look just as stunned.

“Do not worry, though,” Tsukishima continues. “The battle is still set for next month.”

Not even that is enough to quell the surge of fury within Byakuya, though.

Narrowing his eyes, he flares his dark force and surrounds his blade with glowing white energy before pointing it at Tsukishima.

“Be honoured, Tsukishima Shukuro,” he says sharply. “You have now angered me enough to make me unleash my powers.”

He imbues the blade of Senbonzakura with his white-coloured dark force, making it glow as Tsukishima prepares himself for his next attack.

However, Byakuya is much faster.

With a swing of his blade, he releases hundreds of petals that glow white, all of them floating gently like sakura petals around a confused Tsukishima.

Then, with an elegant slash of his blade, the petals swiftly and mercilessly cut into Tsukishima’s skin.

Blood sprays out from each cut as Tsukishima collapses to the ground, coughing up some more blood.

“Damn… you…” Tsukishima curses.

Byakuya regards him coldly. “Be grateful to have been spared,” he tells him. “I left you alive for a very good reason. Tell your lord that I won’t be as merciful when we meet in battle.”

Tsukishima slowly gets back on his feet, glaring at Byakuya as he retreats into the forest once more. “Oh, I’ll tell him, alright,” he says darkly. “And the next time we meet in battle, Ginjo-dono shall strike you all down where you stand!”

With those words, he vanishes into the darkness of the forest.

And only moments after his departure, Byakuya is overwhelmed with the pain from his injury, and he collapses to the ground once more.

_ Damn it all…  _

“Kuchiki-dono!”

Almost immediately, Renji and Hisagi rush over to him, helping him up off the ground.

“We have to get back to the castle now!” Hisagi says urgently. “Come on, let’s go!”

“On it!” Renji says.

The trip back to the castle is a blur for Byakuya, and he barely registers much through the haze of pain from his injury. Fortunately, it doesn’t take too long for them to return to the castle, and Byakuya distantly hears Hisagi giving orders to Hinamori as he’s taken to his bed chambers to be healed.

Before long, Byakuya is lying back under the covers of his futon as Hinamori tends to his injury while Rukia fusses over him.

“You just got injured very recently, Nii-sama!” Rukia scolds him, her voice filled with worry and disbelief. “Why would you get into yet another fight?”

“Forgive me, Rukia…” Byakuya whispers. “I had no choice, though. It was an important one.”

Rukia just sighs and shakes her head. “I can’t stand to see you get hurt, Nii-sama,” she tells him gently. “You need to be more careful.”

Hinamori eventually finishes treating his injury and bandaging it, and with some word of advice for him to rest and recover, both she and Rukia take their leave from the bed chambers.

Not too long after they leave, Renji enters the chambers, much to Byakuya’s surprise.

“Abarai…” he says softly. 

He watches him approach the futon before he kneels into seiza with a rather hesitant look upon his face.

“How are you feeling, milord?” Renji asks him.

Byakuya nods slowly. “I will recover soon enough,” he responds. “What are you here for?”

This time, Renji regards him a bit more firmly now.

“Is it true, what Tsukishima said about bonds?” he asks.

The firm look in Renji’s eyes makes Byakuya wince just a little. He should’ve known that this is what he would’ve asked him.

“Yes, it is true,” he answers. “Humans with inherent spiritual abilities like yours are able to form bonds with demons.”

Again, Renji looks hesitant and troubled. “So did you bring me here for the sake of creating that bond?”

Byakuya pauses, considering his words.

While the thought has crossed his mind from time to time, that is certainly not the reason why he’d gotten Renji to serve him. Furthermore, he’d never really pursued it out of concern for Renji’s safety.

“I will not lie to you; I have considered it,” Byakuya tells him quietly. “However, that is not why you are serving me.”

He stares out at the view of the gardens from the shoji door. “Besides, the bond has to be mutually consensual,” he says. “And once the bond is made, you are forever bound to my side, and you cannot leave, no matter what happens.”

Such a bond would take away Renji’s freedom, and Byakuya can’t do that to him.

Much to his surprise, Renji just gives him a tiny smile.

“I’m willing to take that risk, Kuchiki-dono,” he says. “I’ve already made the choice to serve you until death, and I’ll gladly form a bond with you if it means I can stay by your side and help you defeat the Ginjo Clan.”

Byakuya’s heart flutters, and for a moment, he can’t believe what he’s hearing.

Abarai Renji is really willing to take the risk and form a bond with him? Even while knowing that he’ll have to be by his side forever?

Then again, he shouldn’t be so surprised. After all, Renji has already proven himself to be fiercely loyal and brave, so for him to be willing to form a bond with a demon… it’s only a testament to how honourable he is.

_ You truly are something, aren’t you? _ Byakuya thinks fondly, unable to help the gentle smile that crosses his face. 

He then reaches out and takes Renji’s hands into his own.

“Your devotion to me is truly touching,” he tells him softly. “I thank you, Abarai Renji.”

Renji just smiles just as tenderly, leaning in closer towards him.

Instinctively, Byakuya also leans closer until their foreheads are touching, their lips inches apart. Renji seems to pause for a moment, looking a little unsure, so Byakuya just gives him a small nod to reassure him.

With that, Renji closes the distance between them and gently captures Byakuya’s lips with his own.

The kiss is tender and gentle, and Byakuya can’t help but melt into it, savouring the warmth from Renji’s lips, the way he softly caresses his cheeks, and the way his heart pounds hard against his chest.

And right then, it’s as if all the turmoil that has haunted him for so long has been quelled, and everything has fallen into place at last.

Renji slowly pulls away, and Byakuya opens his eyes just in time to see him smiling so fondly at him, that he can’t stop himself from smiling either.

“I really mean it, milord,” Renji tells him. “I want to make that bond with you.”

“Well, you’ve already convinced me,” Byakuya says in mild amusement. “We will form the bond soon. But first, we must train for battle and build up your dark force.”

Renji nods. “You’re right,” he agrees with a smile. “But I’m definitely looking forward to it.”

“That’s what I like to hear.”

And for the first time in almost forever, Byakuya’s heart feels lighter than it ever has before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- Daigo was the 60th emperor of Japan, and he ruled from 897 to 930 A.D., during the Heian period (794-1185). The '-tenno' honorific means "heavenly sovereign", and is used exclusively to refer to the Emperor of Japan.
> 
> And so, another important development has taken place between our boys, and things are definitely going to become even more serious now!
> 
> Please let me know how I did, and have a good one!


	13. Worthy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Since the confrontation, Renji has trained hard to prepare himself for making the bond with Byakuya. He is then tested by both Hisagi and Byakuya to see if he is worthy of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is Chapter 13! This turned out a bit longer than I expected, but I can't really complain.
> 
> I listened to the OST from "Ghost of Tsushima" for this chapter (generally for this story as well), and it really created the perfect mood for this chapter. Specifically, for the second duel, I recommend listening to [this track](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvDou0dJx7Y) to get the mood.
> 
> I hope you all enjoy!

“Like this?” Renji holds Zabimaru’s grip with both hands, focusing his gaze at one of the damaged trees in the courtyard.

From the corner of his eyes, Byakuya nods approvingly. “Like that,” he says. “Now then, keep your focus sharp and concentrate your energy into the blade. When you’re ready, go for it.”

Renji closes his eyes, holding Zabimaru at the ready. He breathes steadily, blood surging through his veins as his heart pounds against his chest.

It isn’t long before he feels a low thrum in the blade, and that’s when he notices a faint red glow surrounding it.

At last, he’s ready.

With that, Renji raises Zabimaru’s blade as he charges forth, pouring all his energy into the blade until he draws closer, then swiftly brings it down in a diagonal slash.

A blast of crimson-red dark force is released from the blade, shooting toward the tree trunk with an audible sound until it crashes into the trunk itself. Splinters of tree bark fly everywhere, but miraculously, the tree remains standing, with the attack merely leaving a scar in the trunk.

Renji slowly lowers Zabimaru’s blade before turning to look at Byakuya, who gives him another nod of approval.

“It’s become much more controlled now,” Byakuya praises him. “Good work, Abarai.”

A smile crosses Renji’s face, his heart beating a little faster from the praise.

Days have passed since the confrontation with Tsukishima Shukuro in the forest, and Renji has been training hard with Byakuya for the sake of building up his dark force, so that he will be able to form a bond with him.

Considering that the battle against the demonic forces of the Ginjo Clan is coming fast, such training is crucial, especially in learning how to control his dark force effectively in battle.

Over the course of those days, Renji has learned that he is actually capable of releasing and manipulating his own dark force, no thanks to his spiritual awareness. Thus, he has also learned how to control his dark force, coloured crimson-red like his own hair, and use it in his own blade, much like his lord himself.

It’s been a little difficult, learning how to control the magnitude of those attacks, but Renji has managed to get the hang of it for the most part. But while his attacks might have gotten stronger, his ability to release dark force is still limited on account of him being a human, so it must be used carefully and wisely.

“I’d like to do a bit of practice right now,” Byakuya says, stepping out into the courtyard. “You are free to watch if you wish, Abarai.”

Renji nods, stepping back and sitting on the engawa porch as he resheathes Zabimaru.

Byakuya unsheathes Senbonzakura and closes his eyes as he grasps the grip firmly, concentrating his energy into the blade. Almost immediately, the blade is surrounded with tendrils of white-coloured dark force that glow and radiate sheer power as Byakuya opens his eyes again.

Brandishing his blade, Byakuya gracefully swings it, causing it to release almost a thousand glowing fragments of energy in the shape of sakura petals. He then elegantly controls the petals with his sword so that they scatter towards the tree itself, before they all slice through the trunk, adding more scars to the tree.

Renji can’t help how amazed he feels at such a spectacular sight. Even though the petals are lovely to look at, there’s no doubting how dangerous they really are, and to be distracted by them in battle would truly be foolish.

“Beautiful…” he breathes, unable to help himself.

Hearing this, Byakuya glances back over at him, looking a little flattered as he averts his eyes.

“You flatter me, Abarai,” he says softly.

“I’m serious, milord,” Renji tells him sincerely. “Though I will admit, I’m a little surprised that it’s white. I thought it would be a darker colour.”

Byakuya just nods slowly. “Dark force comes in different colours for us,” he says. “Most of them tend to be either black or some other dark colour, but mine is one of the rare few that is white.”

“That makes sense,” Renji concedes. “It’s still quite pretty, though. And it suits you.”

Again, Byakuya seems to fluster at this, and he just averts his eyes again for a brief moment before quickly composing himself.

“Shouldn’t you be continuing your training, Abarai?” Byakuya reminds him sternly. “You still need to be perfecting your stance and techniques before you can even think of being ready for the bond. So get to it!”

“Yes, milord!” Renji says with a grin as he gets up and re-enters the courtyard with Zabimaru in hand.

Even though Byakuya’s words may sound harsh, he’s right. Renji still has to get much stronger, so he can’t afford to be distracted. Not that he minds, though.

He’ll do anything to make sure he becomes strong enough to serve Kuchiki Byakuya in battle.

* * *

Renji isn’t sure how much time has passed since he’d paused his training, but right now, the sun is definitely much higher in the sky than it had been a while ago.

He gulps down the cold water in his drinking dish, sighing at the relief it gives him. By now, his heart rate has calmed significantly and he feels a little less tired, and he just lets his mind wander a little as he closes his eyes to enjoy the cool breeze that caresses his skin.

So lost he is in his thoughts, he fails to hear the footsteps approaching him until Byakuya speaks to him.

“Have you recovered yet?” Byakuya asks.

Turning around to face him, Renji nods, only to pause when he notices Hisagi standing next to his lord.

“What’s going on?” Renji asks, standing up. “Why is Hisagi here?”

“It’s time to test out your abilities,” Byakuya tells him. “In order to make sure you are ready for the bond, it is important to see how well you will do in a fight against demons. Therefore, you will have to fight both Hisagi and myself, one-on-one, while we are in our demonic forms.”

Renji’s eyes widen slightly.

Fighting both Hisagi and Byakuya  _ while _ they’re in their demonic forms?

Of course, it only makes sense as to why he must fight them like that, but the very thought of him, a human, actually going up against two demons is rather nerve-wracking, in all honesty.

But he wouldn’t be himself if he were to back down.

With that, he nods. “Very well then,” he says, stepping out into the courtyard. “I’ll fight you both.”

“That’s good to hear.” Hisagi follows him, unsheathing his blade as tendrils of black-coloured dark force surround him. “You’ll be taking me on first, so I hope you’re prepared, Abarai.”

Renji watches as Hisagi is surrounded by dark force, his heart beating a little faster as the thick pressure in the air increases.

Soon, the dark force dissipates, and Hisagi stands before him in his demonic form. His eyes glow red, and two fangs glint at the corners of his mouth as his lips curl into a smile. Two black horns protrude from the top of his head, and his nails have shifted into sharp black claws that curl menacingly around his weapon.

And speaking of the weapon… that has also changed.

Instead of a katana in his hands, Hisagi now holds a double-kusarigama with two scythe blades on each side, and a chain that connects them both.

Renji looks at the weapon in surprise before looking back at Hisagi, who simply grins at him.

_ “Come and fight me, if you dare,”  _ he challenges.  _ “But be warned. The blades of Kazeshini are highly unpredictable, so I cannot guarantee that you won’t get hurt!” _

With a nod, Renji unsheathes Zabimaru with a flourish, holding the grip with both hands.

Right then, Hisagi charges towards him.

Renji is quicker, and he swiftly leaps out of the way, avoiding his attack just in time and quickly regaining his footing.

Hisagi remains undeterred, and he simply bares his fangs before moving his hands to the chain, deftly spinning the scythes around him until the blades are practically a blur.

_ Don’t lose focus. Don’t take your eyes off those blades…  _ Renji tells himself repeatedly, waiting for his next move as he concentrates his dark force into Zabimaru’s blade.

Immediately, Hisagi swings one of the scythes towards him.

Renji holds Zabimaru up just in time, the blade now surrounded by tendrils of red dark force as it blocks the attack.

Hisagi raises an eyebrow as he pulls the scythe back.

_ “Not bad,”  _ he remarks.  _ “You’ve gotten faster, Abarai. But this fight is nowhere near finished!” _

He leaps towards Renji, raising his blades in preparation to bring them down, but Renji rolls out of the way once more before parrying against the attacks. Thanks to the tendrils of dark force surrounding Zabimaru, his own attacks become more effective against the blades of Kazeshini, allowing him to hold his own.

All he has to do now is make sure they don’t disappear on him.

As their blades clash once more, Renji can’t help but feel impressed with Hisagi’s level of skill against him. He truly is quite vicious in his demonic form, completely different from their bokken duel that day.

His level of power has clearly increased, and his attacks have gotten much more vicious than ever. 

But there’s no way Renji can afford to let himself lose against him. For the most part, he’s able to hold himself against him, but he can’t let this duel drag on any longer. He has to end it soon enough.

_ “Getting tired yet?” _ Hisagi asks caustically.  _ “Can’t blame you, though. You are up against a demon, after all.” _

Renji grits his teeth, pushing back against Hisagi’s blades. “Don’t underestimate me,” he retorts. “I’ve still got a bit more in me!”

He pushes him back, then brandishes Zabimaru once more to prepare for the next attack.

_ “This ends here, Abarai Renji!”  _ Hisagi shouts, charging towards him once more.

Renji tightens his hold on Zabimaru’s grip, pouring every bit of dark force into his blade before narrowly avoiding another attack from Kazeshini.

Keeping his grip firm, he charges towards Hisagi in response, then slashes the blade diagonally.

A ray of crimson-coloured dark force is shot from Zabimaru towards a surprised Hisagi, quickly striking him across the torso before he can even think of dodging the attack.

The force of the blast sends Hisagi flying back several feet, tearing through his keikogi as he’s knocked off his feet to the ground, colliding with a grunt.

Renji pants softly, trying to catch his breath as he watches Hisagi slowly sit up. His keikogi has been torn, and blood spills from a diagonal laceration upon his torso.

_ Dammit…  _ Renji thinks, unable to stop himself from worrying.  _ Did I hurt him? _

Much to his surprise, Hisagi sits up and grins weakly before surrounding himself with dark force. Moments later, the dark force dissipates, and he is back to his human form once more.

“Not bad, Abarai…” he praises, wincing from the injury. “You’ve passed the first test.”

Renji looks at him in surprise. “You’re… You’re serious?” he asks.

Hisagi nods, still smiling. “You fought well,” he says.

Almost immediately, his heart soars, and Renji can’t stop himself from smiling.

“Th-Thank you, Hisagi!” he says, bowing quickly before helping him to his feet. “It was an honour!”

“He’s right.” Right then, Byakuya approaches Renji with a gentler look in his eyes. “You did well in that fight.”

Hearing this praise from Byakuya himself makes Renji’s heart beat even faster now, and his cheeks heat up.

“I thank you, milord,” Renji murmurs.

Byakuya nods. “Now then, let us take a short rest,” he says. “You will need to conserve your energy for when you duel against me in the afternoon.”

* * *

Shortly after the duel, once Hisagi’s injury had been treated, Renji had paid him a visit to check on him. Fortunately, the injury had not been severe, and he would recover in a matter of a few days.

Currently, Renji sits in the gardens beneath the willow tree near the pond, playing a simple melody on his gottan with a content smile. And Byakuya sits right next to him, his eyes closed as he listens to the melody, clearly at peace right now.

Renji can’t stop himself from smiling at Byakuya as he continues to play the gottan. To see his lord so at peace… it’s beautiful. He looks a lot gentler and vulnerable right now, and for his lord to feel comfortable enough with letting his guard down in front of him is quite the honour.

But as he plays, Renji finds his mind wandering to the confrontation with Tsukishima from a few days ago, particularly to the heated words exchanged between him and Byakuya about the conflict between the Kuchiki Clan and the Ginjo Clan.

As he finishes the song, he lowers his gottan with a quiet sigh. As if on cue, Byakuya opens his eyes and turns to look at him.

“Can you play another one?” he asks.

Renji pauses. “Not yet,” he says. “I… I wanted to ask you something important, Kuchiki-dono. It’s about the conflict between your clan and the Ginjo Clan. I wish to understand it properly.”

Byakuya frowns slightly, but nods. “I shall tell you, then,” he agrees.

He looks down at his lap, clearly trying to form the words in his mind. But at last, he speaks again.

“Like I had said, the conflict between our clans is much too complicated to explain fully,” Byakuya begins. “I will tell you this, though. The feud between our clan has lasted for centuries, long before I myself was even born.”

Renji nods slowly as he listens.

“While a lot of the conflict had stemmed from territorial feuds, there were other factors involved,” Byakuya continues. “The Ginjo Clan is notorious for how much they scorn humanity, and they often slaughtered a lot of human villages in this land. My ancestors tried everything they could to make them stop, because the massacres risked bringing human attention onto us.”

He stares off at the mountains. “Things only escalated during the Shotai era, when the leader of the Ginjo Clan at that time had plotted to overthrow Daigo-tenno and the imperial court,” he says. “It was pure arrogance on his part, especially the slaughters he’d committed on numerous villages during that time.

“My grandfather, Kuchiki Ginrei, had to stop him, no matter what it took,” he continues. “So he and the Kuchiki Clan waged war upon them. From what I learned, it had been quite a vicious war as well, but it ended in our clan’s victory. Not too long afterwards, my grandfather forced the Ginjo Clan leader to commit seppuku as punishment for his crime, then subsequently claimed this territory for our clan.”

Byakuya sighs quietly. “But since then, the conflict has only become even more bitter than ever,” he finishes.

Renji nods, feeling rather fascinated from this history lesson. And that’s when he realizes something.

Just how old is his lord?

“Kuchiki-dono…” he begins tentatively. “May I ask how old you are?”

Byakuya’s eyes glint with mild amusement, and he nods. “I am two-hundred-forty years old,” he says. “That would be equivalent to twenty-four human years.”

_ Wait, what? _ Renji looks at him in shock.

His lord is two-hundred-forty years old? 

“I… I had no idea…” he mumbles.

Byakuya just smiles wanly. “I was born during the Einin era, one year before Fushimi-tenno abdicated the throne,” he explains. “And Rukia was born in the second year of the Shohei era, during the reign of the Southern and Northern Courts.”

Again, Renji just nods slowly, still amazed. He’d had no idea that demons could be this old.

“I never knew your clan was this… old,” he says.

Byakuya just shrugs slightly. “There are demons out there who are far more ancient than the entire Kuchiki Clan,” he tells him. “Their very existence dates well before the Reign of Emperor Jimmu to the dawn of time itself.”

As this piece of information registers in Renji’s mind, he finds himself thinking of another question.

“How many demon clans exist right now?” he asks.

“More than I could count,” Byakuya says. “And there has been a lot of warfare taking place between them, much like the situation between humans, but most humans cannot detect demonic warfare. And it’s a good thing as well, since those battles can be absolutely brutal.”

_ Indeed.  _ Renji agrees.

He gives Byakuya a small smile. “Thank you for sharing your history with me,” he says. “I truly appreciate it.”

Byakuya nods, tentatively returning the smile. “You’re very welcome, Abarai,” he says. “But speaking of battles, I think we should commence our duel.” His eyes glint slightly. “That way, we can see if you are truly ready for the bond.”

Renji nods, unable to stop the slight grin that crosses his face as he rises to his feet. “Of course, milord,” he says eagerly. “I look forward to our duel.”

With that, both daimyo and samurai begin to return to the courtyard, ready to resume the duel.

* * *

Anticipation surges through Byakuya’s veins as he and Renji return to the training courtyard, and for the first time in a very long time, he’s actually looking forward to this duel.

Hopefully, Renji will be ready to face off against him. He might have won against Hisagi, but will he be able to last against his lord?

No. Byakuya has faith that Renji will do well in this duel. He’s trained hard since the confrontation with Tsukishima Shukuro, and has been very dedicated in becoming stronger. 

Honestly, Byakuya can’t help how much he admires Renji’s sincere dedication. But at the same time, there’s something else he feels for him that he’s truly not sure how to describe.

His heart feels lighter in Renji’s presence, and when he smiles, he feels so pleasantly warm. It’s the same kind of feeling he’d felt towards Hisana, but as much as Byakuya enjoys these sensations, he can’t help but feel afraid as well.

What if he loses Renji in the future?

Byakuya blinks, realizing what he’s thinking.

_ No. I cannot think such thoughts.  _ He tells himself.

Abarai Renji is a strong and capable warrior. He will never let himself die, no matter what happens.

By now, the sun is shining brightly in the clear blue sky, and as they both step out onto the courtyard, Byakuya watches Renji slip out of his keikogi, exposing his muscular, tattooed chest and arms as he lets it hang at his waist.

Seeing those bold black tattoos against his bronzed skin makes Byakuya’s mouth go dry for a moment, but he swallows hard and forces himself to banish such thoughts from his mind.

However, it seems that Renji has noticed, and he just gives him a mischievous grin.

“Do you like my tattoos that much, milord?” he teases.

Byakuya averts his eyes as his cheeks warm up, and his heart flutters at the sight of that wolfish grin he’s come to love so much.

Clearing his throat, he quickly composes himself and turns back to look at Renji.

“Are you ready for this duel?” Byakuya asks him.

By now, Rukia, Hisagi, and Hinamori have come to watch the duel from the engawa porch, just in case they need to intervene.

“Of course I am,” Renji says with a grin.

“Good,” Byakuya says, unsheathing Senbonzakura as white tendrils of his dark force surround him.

He closes his eyes as the transformation takes place. Byakuya can feel his horns growing again, followed by his fingernails shifting into claws, and his canine teeth turning into fangs before he opens his glowing red eyes.

His dark force dissipates, and he brandishes his blade right before Renji, who doesn’t even flinch as he unsheathes his own katana, getting into a defensive stance as he regards Byakuya with determination.

_ “Good…”  _ Byakuya’s lips curl into a snarl.  _ “I like that look, Abarai Renji.” _

With that, he charges towards Renji, raising his blade as he surrounds it with white tendrils of his dark force.

As he brings it down, however, Renji swiftly blocks the attack, his own blade surrounded with crimson-red tendrils of dark force that push back against Byakuya’s.

Byakuya snarls ferally, pushing against Renji to try and overpower him, only to be pushed back with a surprising amount of force.

“You’re not getting to me that easily,” Renji warns him, his voice hard as he gets into an offensive stance now.

_ Isn’t he a bold one? _ Byakuya thinks, admittedly impressed.

This time, Renji is the one to make the first move, but Byakuya is ready for it, and he swiftly clashes Senbonzakura against the blade of Zabimaru.

Once again, Renji pushes Byakuya back a few steps, but he’s undeterred. In response, Byakuya thrusts his blade towards Renji, only for him to lean back and narrowly avoid the attack.

“Nice one, milord,” Renji says with a wild grin. “I’m really liking this side of yours. Makes for a great fight!”

Byakuya narrows his eyes and swings Senbonzakura, sending a thousand glowing white petals towards Renji with the intent of slicing through him. However, Renji is faster, and parries against all of them before charging towards Byakuya once more.

As their blades clash hard enough for sparks to fly, Byakuya takes note of how much Renji’s fighting skills have improved.

His reflexes have become a lot faster now, and his instincts have sharpened considerably. Not only is he responding accordingly in battle, but he’s even able to keep up with Byakuya’s speed.

Truly, he has improved so much. Now, he’s more than capable of fighting against demons on his own.

Byakuya can’t help the pride that swells within him. To be able to have fostered this growth in his abilities… it truly is an honour.

Not only have Renji’s fighting skills become sharper, he’s become even fiercer than ever. He fights with the tenacity and ferocity of a wolf, and with the tendrils of his dark force surrounding his blade, he’s become an even greater force of battle than ever before.

_ So this is what it’s like to fight the Okami of Izu…  _ Byakuya thinks to himself.

The duel is much more fierce than anything Byakuya has fought in the past, and for the first time, he’s caught up in the sheer ecstasy of battle.

_ Is this what it’s like, to enjoy fighting so much?  _ Byakuya wonders, clashing his blade with Renji’s once more.  _ It feels… wonderful! _

To be able to enjoy the fight itself, to crave the exhilaration that clashing blades brings to him… it’s truly unlike anything he has ever felt before.

But alas, the fight must come to an end soon. After all, this is not just any fight; it’s specifically testing Renji’s skill level for the bond.

With that, Byakuya brandishes Senbonzakura at Renji, surrounding the blade with his dark force.  _ “This is my final attack,”  _ he declares.  _ “Be prepared, Abarai Renji.” _

He swings the blade again, releasing thousands of white glowing petals from the tendrils of dark force that surround it, then aims the blade at Renji.

Immediately, the petals scatter towards Renji.

Renji doesn’t flinch. Instead, he readies his own blade, surrounding it with crimson tendrils before forcefully swinging it.

Once more, a ray of dark force shoots out from Zabimaru and breaks through the petals without any mercy. Then, Renji surrounds his blade with more dark force, then charges towards Byakuya, raising the blade to deliver his final attack.

Byakuya quickly holds up Senbonzakura in an attempt to block the attack, and their blades clash hard.

However, to Byakuya’s shock, his guard begins to break from the sheer force pressing against the blade. 

Then, before he can even blink, Byakuya is thrown back from the force of the attack, losing his footing as he falls to one knee.

The blast of dark force dies down, and Renji stares at Byakuya in shock, as though he cannot believe what he’s just done. Likewise, Byakuya can’t even contain his own surprise.

_ I can’t believe it…  _ He thinks.  _ He’s… won. _

However, it’s very much clear what this means.

With a faint smile, Byakuya just surrounds himself with his dark force and shifts back into his human form.

“You did excellent, Abarai,” he praises, slowly getting up onto his feet. “I believe you are now ready to make a bond with me.”

Renji’s eyes practically shine as he smiles, looking so adorably thrilled. “It’s an honour, milord!” he says excitedly, bowing down. “I look forward to making the bond with you!”

Again, no matter how much he tries, Byakuya cannot hide the smile on his face, especially when Hisagi, Hinamori, and Rukia come down to congratulate Renji.

Seeing him this happy… he wants to see even more of it from now on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- The Shotai era lasted from April 898 to July 901, and the reigning emperor of that time was Emperor Daigo
> 
> \- The Einin era lasted from August 1293 to April 1299; this means that Byakuya was born in 1297. The reigning emperors of this period were Emperor Fushimi and Emperor Go-Fushimi
> 
> \- The Shohei era was a period of the Southern Court during the Era of Northern and Southern Courts, and lasted from December 1346 to July 1370.
> 
> And with that, Renji has now proven himself ready to create a bond with Byakuya~ And things are definitely going to get a bit hotter in the next chapter ;)
> 
> Please let me know how I did, and have a good one!


	14. An Intimate Bond

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a visit to the village to inform them of the upcoming battle, Renji and Byakuya create the bond in the most intimate manner possible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's Chapter 14, where things are going to get hot very soon ;) I recommend listening to [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvDou0dJx7Y) sexy part in this chapter~
> 
> I hope you all enjoy!

As the days continue to pass, the battle also gradually draws closer. And with Renji having successfully proven himself worthy of forming a bond with Byakuya, everyone has now been focusing on preparing to face off against the forces of the Ginjo Clan.

In between numerous training sessions, both one-on-one and with the rest of the samurai, Byakuya has made sure that everyone is polishing their armour and training while wearing it so that they can get used to wearing it in battle. For the most part, everyone has been preparing themselves thoroughly for war, but there are other preparations that need to be taken care of.

Namely, the village beneath the castle.

During wars in the past, it was the responsibility for Kuchiki Clan women to gather the villagers and bring them to the castle complex for their protection, and place barriers around the village itself to prevent its possible destruction during battle. And even now, this is no different.

Rukia and Hinamori will be in charge of rounding up the villagers and setting up the protective barriers on the night before battle. However, before they can do that, the villagers will have to be informed about the campaign, as well as what they are supposed to do in preparation.

When evening arrives, Byakuya heads to the stables, dressed in a deep-blue kimono and hakama, and his haori bearing the Kuchiki Clan crest. It’s only going to be a short trip down to the village, and it shouldn’t take too long to speak with the elders.

It’s as he nears the doors of the keep that Renji happens to approach him.

Byakuya stops in his tracks, glancing at Renji as he comes closer.

“What is it?” he asks. “I have to head down to the village soon before night falls.”

“I know,” Renji says, looking unusually hesitant. “But I was wondering, well…”

He averts his eyes shyly, rubbing the back of his neck. “Can I come with you, Kuchiki-dono?” he asks. “I just wanna see Unohana-san and speak with her, if it is possible.”

Byakuya pauses as he considers Renji’s request. He does have a good point; after all, Renji hasn’t seen Unohana since coming to the Senbonzakura Castle, so perhaps he should let him join him. It’s only fair to let him see Unohana again.

Having reached a decision, Byakuya gives him a nod.

“You may come,” he says.

Renji’s eyes brighten up, and he smiles gratefully. “Thank you so much, Kuchiki-dono,” he says, bowing. “That truly means a lot to me.”

Byakuya’s heart flutters, and he just looks down awkwardly. Why must this man fluster him so much without even meaning to?

But before he can respond, he feels Renji’s hand gently tilting his chin up, right before he presses his lips against his cheek.

Almost immediately, Byakuya’s cheeks heat up, his eyes widening slightly as he looks at the playful smile on Renji’s face. His hand slowly comes up to where Renji had kissed him, and his heart pounds hard against his chest.

Isn’t he quite a gutsy one? To give such a bold gesture of affection to his daimyo without even a care of the consequences… even so, Byakuya doesn’t have the heart to scold him for doing that; not when he actually likes how sweet Renji is towards him, despite the difference in their ranks.

Clearing his throat in an effort to recompose himself, Byakuya turns to the doors and slides them open. “Well, let’s be on our way,” he says, trying to keep his voice level as he leaves the keep. “Follow me to the stables if you wish to accompany me.”

“Yes, milord,” Renji says teasingly.

They head down to the stables, where they saddle up their horses before riding out of the castle complex towards the village. By now, the sun is beginning to descend closer to the horizon, the sky now becoming a fiery orange that slowly gives way to the inky-blue of the night.

It’s truly a beautiful scene.

As they ride through the forest, the sky gradually becomes darker as fireflies start lighting up around them. More creatures of the night begin to emerge, but even so, Byakuya can’t help but notice how the world seems rather hushed right now.

And the presence of these nocturnal creatures is no doubt a good thing. After all, this means that Tsukishima isn’t hunting here anymore; though, this also means he has gone back to Ginjo Kugo.

Not that it matters. They’ll be facing against him soon enough.

It isn’t long before Byakuya notices the village up ahead, though there’s still a bit of distance to cross before they can reach the entrance of the village. However, Byakuya is able to notice the lack of activity in the village.

Only a few people are outside, and even then, they’re all returning to their homes for the night.

It’s almost exactly like that night when Byakuya had come across Tsukishima trying to attack Unohana outside her home.

“It appears that everyone in the village is retiring for the night,” he observes.

Renji nods. “Back when the killings started, the elders created some strict rules to keep us out of the forest,” he explains. “Of course, not even those were enough to stop the number of deaths, so the rules just became even stricter until it was forbidden to even step out of our houses after dark.”

“I see…”

Hopefully, the villagers will feel safer once Ginjo and Tsukishima have been dealt with in battle.

At that, Byakuya can’t help but wonder if any more deaths had taken place after the initial confrontation with Tsukishima.

He recalls his first meeting with Unohana, when he had come to deliver the rice payments to her not too long after Renji had come to the castle. Particularly, he recalls how she’d hoped that there wouldn’t be any upcoming campaigns that they would have to get involved in.

Byakuya feels bad about this upcoming campaign, but there isn’t really anything he can do about it. To back out is unthinkable, and he would be shamed as a coward if he were to even try; not that he’d do such a thing.

He can only hope that she’ll be understanding of this development.

Eventually, they begin to draw closer to the entrance, and as they near it, Byakuya stops his horse, making Renji stop as well.

“I’m going to speak with the village elders,” Byakuya tells him. “Please give Unohana Retsu my regards.”

“Of course, milord,” Renji agrees. “Good luck with the talk.”

Replying with a nod, Byakuya snaps the reins and heads towards the house of the village elders.

* * *

As he approaches Unohana’s house, Renji feels a hint of excitement within him at the very thought of seeing her again. It’s been so long since he’d last seen her, and he almost can’t believe how much time has passed.

Stopping his horse, he dismounts before heading up to the door and knocking on it before waiting for it to slide open.

Sure enough, a few moments later, the door slides open to reveal Unohana, whose eyes brighten up as Renji smiles at her.

“It’s been a while, Unohana-san,” he greets her.

Before he can say anything else, he’s swiftly pulled in for a warm and loving hug, one that he can’t help returning.

“It’s so good to see you again, Renji…” Unohana murmurs lovingly before pulling away to take a look at his clothes. “And look at you! You look so formidable now! It seems that Kuchiki-sama has become fond of you, doesn’t it?”

Renji blushes slightly at that remark, but his smile doesn’t falter. “Yes, it does,” he confirms. “I plan to serve Kuchiki Byakuya for the rest of my days. But I’m here to inform you about something important.”

His voice becomes more serious as he continues. “There’s going to be a battle against the Ginjo Clan, and it’s coming fast,” he tells her. “The battle will take place next month. I actually came here with Kuchiki-dono so he could inform Sasakibe and the rest of the elders about it.”

Unohana becomes somber as she slowly nods. “I see…” she says.

“You’re not angry?” Renji asks.

“Not at all,” Unohana reassures him, though she still looks a little sad. “I understand why it must happen. And while I wish that this battle didn’t have to happen, I’m not going to try and stop you from partaking, because you know what you have to do.”

She then smiles mirthfully at him. “And besides, like I said before, Kuchiki-sama has evidently taken a fancy to you,” she chuckles.

Another blush crosses Renji’s face, only to look down as his heart begins to ache, and a sudden melancholy washes over him.

“What’s the matter?” Unohana asks, gently caressing his cheeks. “This is wonderful news, isn’t it?”

“It is, but… are you not sad that I’m moving out for good?” Renji asks.

Unohana simply responds with a kind smile.

“I am a little sad, but I’m more happy for you,” she says. “You have found someone to devote your life to, Renji, and you should be proud of yourself. Besides, I will have Kenpachi to keep me company, and you will have Kuchiki-sama to serve alongside. And you can always come and visit whenever you feel like it.”

Feeling a bit more reassured, Renji gives her a tentative smile. “You’re right,” he agrees.

“There we go.” Unohana’s gaze becomes more serious now. “But if you die in battle, I will never forgive you.”

Renji chuckles. “Don’t worry, Unohana-san,” he says. “I won’t die.”

“Good. I’m glad to hear it.” Unohana bends his head down slightly before kissing his forehead. Such a kiss makes Renji’s heart feel warm, and as he straightens up, he can’t stop himself from smiling.

Right then, as if on cue, Byakuya approaches the house on horseback, evidently having finished his discussion with the elders.

“Ah, it looks like he’s back,” Renji says.

Turning back to Unohana, he smiles again. “Well, I have to leave now,” he says, circling his arms around her in a hug. “I’ll see you soon, I hope.”

“Take good care, Renji,” Unohana says, hugging him back before pulling away. “I hope you fare well with Kuchiki-sama.”

“Me too.”

With that, Renji turns and heads back to his horse, climbing back on the saddle right as Byakuya speaks to him.

“Are you ready to return to the castle?” Byakuya asks.

Renji nods. “Yes, milord,” he says. “Let’s go.”

* * *

By the time they arrive at the castle, the sun is well below the horizon. And shortly after the stablehand takes their horses back to the stables, Renji is asked to accompany Byakuya to his quarters for the sake of creating the bond.

They have planned to create the bond tonight, and Renji recalls learning about the many different ways that a bond can be formed between two demons. While methods vary, the one thing it must have is the demon drinking some of the human’s blood.

Tonight, they will be forming the bond in a rather _intimate_ manner, one that has Renji’s cheeks heating up at the very thought. In fact, as he follows Byakuya to his chambers, he can’t help how nervous he feels.

He will have to face Byakuya in his demonic form again, but this time, the goal is to make him submit entirely before taking him. And it’ll be during the love-making that Byakuya will drink some of his blood.

The very thought of dominating his daimyo in such an intimate way is rather daunting, in all honesty, Hell, the very idea of trying to get a demon to submit to him is quite daunting, but the thought of Byakuya lying beneath him and coming undone… there’s no denying how erotic it sounds.

As if sensing his nerves, Byakuya glances over at Renji while undoing the string that holds his ponytail.

“Are you nervous?” he asks as his hair spills past his shoulders.

Renji swallows hard before nodding. “Yes, I feel a little anxious,” he admits. “I mean, this sounds like a rather dangerous mating ritual. And besides… the very thought of trying to make you, a demon, submit to me…” He laughs nervously. “I don’t know if I’m prepared.” 

Byakuya just regards him mirthfully, his eyes glinting lustfully.

“Well, you shouldn’t worry, Renji,” he reassures him, his velvety baritone lowered to a purr. “I’m sure you will be able to dominate me entirely. In fact… I very much look forward to submitting to you.”

His cheeks heat up again. God, who would’ve thought that Byakuya could sound so damn _seductive_ like that?

The low thrum of arousal kicks in, and Renji just gives him a smile that he hopes is not too nervous. “Well… your faith in me is flattering, Kuchiki-dono,” he says.

“Call me ‘Byakuya’ tonight,” Byakuya tells him, sliding open the doors of the chambers before stepping inside. “I don’t want to be treated as a lord right now.”

Renji nods, unable to stop himself from smirking slightly. “Very well then… Byakuya,” he says, enjoying the way his name rolls off his tongue.

He follows his daimyo into the bed chambers, sliding the doors shut as he watches Byakuya elegantly disrobe until he’s completely naked, his pale skin almost glowing in the darkness of the room. 

Then, he’s surrounded by white-coloured dark force, and the pressure increases for a moment before the dark force dissipates.

Byakuya slowly turns to face him, his eyes glowing red. His horns and claws glint in the dim moonlight that filters in through the windows, and his fangs peek from his mouth as he smiles seductively.

Strangely, Renji doesn’t feel afraid from Byakuya’s demonic form now. Instead, the very sight of his body and his arousal sends a thrill down his spine, and it’s as if a spell is cast over him.

Slowly, he unties his hair from its ponytail. He then removes his kosode, letting it slide off his shoulders and dropping it to the ground to reveal his bare upper torso, and now it’s Byakuya’s turn to eye him appreciatively.

He licks his lips, and such an action only makes Renji’s lust grow even more as he grins faintly while untying his hakama, letting it pool around his feet.

Byakuya’s eyes move down to Renji’s groin, regarding it appreciatively as his cock strains against his fundoshi.

Looking back up at Renji, he regards him challengingly.

“Come, Abarai Renji,” he croons. “Make me submit to you.”

Grinning wolfishly, Renji prowls towards Byakuya, who doesn’t even bother trying to run. Instead, he remains in place, as if waiting to see what Renji will do to him now.

Swiftly, Renji closes the distance between them before grabbing the back of Byakuya’s neck, pulling him close and smothering his lips with his own in a heated, all-consuming kiss.

Byakuya kisses him back just as hungrily, his hands moving to hold onto Renji’s arms before raking his claws over his skin.

Pain spikes through Renji, but oddly enough, it also _arouses_ him even further. He growls against Byakuya’s lips, kissing him even more fiercely as he pushes his tongue into Byakuya’s mouth.

A surprised sound escapes from Byakuya, but he responds by returning the ferocity of the kiss, now trailing his claws over Renji’s chest.

“Fuck…” Renji pulls away from the kiss, panting softly as he opens his eyes to take in the sight of Byakuya’s flushed cheeks and unfocused red eyes.

Byakuya delicately traces his fingers over the tattoos on Renji’s torso, trying to be mindful of his claws. “Such beautiful tattoos…” he breathes, pressing kisses on the side of Renji’s neck. “You truly are a work of art, Renji.”

A sigh of pleasure spills from Renji’s lips as Byakuya traces the jagged marks on his abs. Byakuya’s lips are so hot, and the way he nips gently at his skin with his fangs sends shivers down his spine.

“Byakuya…” he sighs, right before his lips are captured in another heated kiss.

As Byakuya kisses him, he moves his hand to Renji’s cock, palming it through his fundoshi.

Renji growls into Byakuya’s mouth, pulling away from the kiss for air.

Suddenly, the room spins, and before he realizes what’s going on, Renji is pushed back upon the futon beneath him, and Byakuya is now straddling him while smiling seductively at him again.

It’s almost like that night on the full moon, except this time, Renji doesn’t feel any fear or shame. If anything, he’s even more aroused than ever.

He grins up at Byakuya. “I must say… this is a very nice view,” he purrs.

“Is that so?” Byakuya says, leaning down until his lips are inches away from Renji’s. “Then try not to get too lost.”

Their lips meet again in another aggressive kiss, and Renji moves his hands to Byakuya’s waist before roaming over his smooth, heated skin. In response, Byakuya rocks his hips against Renji’s, creating delicious friction between them as their hands roam over each other’s bodies.

Goddamn… Byakuya really knows what he’s doing, and Renji can’t help but enjoy it.

Eventually, Byakuya pulls away from the kiss and slides his lips down Renji’s neck, his tongue tracing over the tattoos there. He then slides his lips down to Renji’s chest, pressing kisses and tracing his tattoos with his tongue, all while teasing the skin with his fangs.

Renji shivers at the sensation of Byakuya’s fangs, the pleasure gradually increasing as Byakuya moves his lips down further and further until they’re right above his groin.

Without hesitation, Byakuya just pulls down the fundoshi, and Renji hisses slightly as his cock is exposed to the air of the room.

Byakuya regards his arousal with lustful eyes. “Impressive…” he murmurs, licking his lips as he strokes the shaft.

“Byakuya…” Renji hisses, shuddering slightly.

With an amused smile, Byakuya leans down and slides his lips over the tip.

Renji inhales sharply, his head lolling back against the pillow as Byakuya engulfs more of his cock into his hot, wet mouth before setting a steady rhythm in sucking him.

A slight graze of Byakuya’s fangs against his shaft makes Renji tense up slightly, but there’s no denying the thrill of pleasure from such an action.

Sweat slides down Renji’s forehead, plastering crimson strands to his face as he resists the urge to thrust up into Byakuya’s mouth. He moves his hands to Byakuya’s hair, combing his fingers through the silky strands and earning a purr from him as he quickens his pace just a tad.

He can’t believe his own daimyo is actually pleasuring him like this, and so genuinely desiring this as well. Byakuya’s mouth is so hot, and the way his lips are stretched around his cock is incredibly erotic.

Renji feels his cock twitch slightly, and that’s when he realizes that he’s close. He can’t come now; not when he has to make Byakuya submit to him.

With that, he moves his hands to Byakuya’s horns and grips them firmly before hauling him up.

Moving his hands to his body, Renji swiftly rolls Byakuya over so that now he’s lying beneath him on the futon.

Byakuya’s eyes widen in surprise, and Renji just grins triumphantly. 

“Got you,” he declares.

* * *

The triumphant and reverent smile on Renji’s face makes Byakuya’s heart flutter in an almost innocent way, as if he hadn’t been pleasuring him with his mouth a short moment ago. And really, he cannot be too annoyed; after all, Renji has managed to dominate him at last.

Right then, Renji caresses Byakuya’s face almost tenderly before leaning down and kissing him again.

This time, the kiss is much sweeter, and Byakuya allows himself to melt into the kiss, surrendering to the wonderful thrill of pleasure that washes over him as Renji rocks his hips against his own.

He certainly hadn’t expected Renji to make him surrender with such a sweet kiss, but he is definitely not complaining either.

_He really is full of surprises…_

When Renji pulls away, Byakuya just smiles up at him before reaching beneath a pillow and retrieving a bottle of oil.

“Here,” he tells him. “I have surrendered to you, Renji. So take me now.”

Renji takes the bottle, looking mildly surprised for a moment before a seductive smile crosses his face.

“With pleasure, Byakuya,” he says.

He slides his lips down Byakuya’s neck, gently nipping the delicate skin and sending shivers down his spine. A fire burns deep within him, and only Renji’s touches can quench the flames that burn.

Renji leaves a trail of heated kisses all over his body, and by now, Byakuya’s body is flushed, and strands of his hair are plastered to his face with sweat. Never before has he felt this good, and the feeling of Renji’s crimson hair brushing against his sensitive skin ignites so many nerves in the best way possible.

His cock is then engulfed into Renji’s mouth, and Byakuya gasps sharply at the jolt of pleasure that runs down his spine as Renji starts to suck him steadily. By now, he is mindless with desire, and his heart pounds against his chest as he lets his head fall back against the pillow.

“Renji…” he moans, combing his fingers through Renji’s hair. “Hurry up…”

It isn’t long before he feels a finger, slick with oil, pressing against his entrance before pushing in. Renji continues to pleasure him while stretching him out to try and distract him from any discomfort he might feel, and Byakuya isn’t sure how much longer he can take this sweet torture.

Eventually, Renji finally finishes up, and withdraws his fingers before pulling his lips off his cock.

Byakuya watches as Renji readies his cock with oil, before lying back as Renji aligns the tip of his cock at his entrance.

“Take me already, Renji…” Byakuya orders, trying not to sound desperate. “I beg of you.”

“Of course.”

Slowly, Renji pushes his cock inside, and Byakuya shudders as a wave of pleasure washes over him. 

“Oh god…” he moans, moving his hands to Renji’s arms.

Renji breathes heavily, staying still as he looks down at Byakuya. “Are you alright?”

Byakuya nods. “Yes,” he whispers. “I will bite you soon, so be ready.”

“Yes, milord.”

Renji leans down and presses a reverent kiss against Byakuya’s forehead. Then, at last, he starts to move.

He thrusts roughly into Byakuya, who shivers reflexively and clamps down around his cock, earning a heated groan from Renji.

“Fuck, that’s good…” he groans.

His pace quickens, and so does Byakuya’s breathing. His hips move along with Renji’s, wrapping his legs around his waist as he rakes his claws over Renji’s back, uncaring if he draws blood.

Not that Renji seems to mind. If anything, it only makes him thrust even more roughly, slamming against just the right spot in him.

Byakuya arches his back off the futon, moaning almost shamelessly as that same spot is hit over and over again. He’s so caught up in the extreme pleasure that he very nearly forgets the very purpose of this kind of intimacy.

“I’m close, Byakuya…” Renji breathes, sweat sliding down his skin as he thrusts deeply.

“Me too…” A sob of pleasure escapes from Byakuya's lips.

He moves his hands to Renji’s sweat-slick shoulders, gripping them firmly as he bares his fangs.

Then, right as Renji thrusts one last time into him, Byakuya bites down firmly, his fangs piercing through the delicate skin.

Renji finally reaches his climax with a groan of pleasure, slamming into Byakuya as he comes inside of him. At the same time, Byakuya’s mouth is flooded with warm, rich blood, and he succumbs to the blissful heat of release as he starts to drink.

His blood… it’s unlike anything he’s ever tasted before. It’s rich and crisp with a faintly sweet hint that’s almost dangerously addictive, but he forces himself to only take what he needs.

But as the blood flows down his throat, Byakuya notices something peculiar.

Through the blissful haze of his release, he notices that his monstrous instinct that had been threatening to emerge has started to quieten. Of course, it hasn’t vanished completely, but strangely, it’s no longer as prominent as it had been before.

Somehow, Renji’s blood has managed to ease Byakuya’s pain and keep that creature at bay.

Slowly, Byakuya licks the bite wound to stop the bleeding before pulling away from Renji’s neck, a shuddering sigh spilling from his lips.

“Are you alright?” Renji asks him gently.

“I should be asking that, you fool…” Byakuya chides him fondly, caressing his face.

Renji chuckles. “I’m more than fine,” he says.

He leans down and kisses Byakuya sweetly, uncaring of the blood that stains his lips, and Byakuya kisses him back, completely spent.

When the kiss ends, Byakuya shifts back into his human form right as Renji pulls out of him. 

He then lies down next to him, pulling the covers over them both before pulling Byakuya into his arms, kissing the top of his head. Such a gentle gesture makes Byakuya’s heart flutter, and he leans into the embrace and warmth of Renji’s body.

“Does it hurt?” he asks.

Renji shakes his head. “Not too much,” he says with a smile. “Now, you can’t get rid of me. I’ll be by your side forever.”

Byakuya chuckles tiredly. “As if I would even want you to leave…”

He closes his eyes as sleep washes over him, feeling so secure and safe in Renji’s arms, and he leans in even closer to cherish the warmth he hasn’t felt in such a long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And with that, Chapter 14 is finished! Honestly, the sexy scene in this chapter was quite hot, and listening to that particular track from Ghost of Tsushima really set the tone for it.
> 
> Please let me know how I did, and have a good one!


	15. Decisive Battle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day of battle has come, one that will change the lives of Renji and Byakuya for the better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the last chapter of "Sakura Castle". Alas, this story is coming to an end in my mind, but it's been a real pleasure to write this story! Thank you for all the support and comments, everyone! I hope you enjoy!

The dawn of battle has arrived at last. In a few hours time, they shall ride out to the mountain pass to face off against the forces of the Ginjo Clan.

Renji can’t really believe that Byakuya has asked him to get ready with him in the private armory, but it is truly an honour to be granted such a privilege. Besides, this is definitely a sign that Byakuya trusts him so greatly.

Dressed in a deep-red shitagi and maroon kobakama, Renji continues to put on his tabi and kutsu boots for riding his horse. He also ties his hair up into a topknot instead of a ponytail, for the sake of his helmet.

Byakuya’s shitagi is a faded white, and his kobakama are black in colour. Once he’s put on his own tabi and kutsu, he ties his hair up into a topknot, and Renji can’t help but feel amazed at how much sharper his daimyo looks with his hair up in that style.

His eyes look sharper, and his face looks much more hardened as well. Renji can only imagine how he will look in full armour, especially if he’s in his demonic form.

Once they’ve put on their appropriate clothing, it’s now time to don their armour.

Renji’s armour is red and black, while Byakuya’s is black and deep-blue. Such a sharp contrast in colours, and yet, they provide a good reflection of their personalities.

They start from the bottom first, fastening the suneate guards over their shins before they move onto the haidate, or the thigh guards.

“Are you ready for battle, Renji?” Byakuya asks, fastening his haidate around his waist.

Renji nods slowly as he finishes securing his own haidate. “I hope so,” he says, moving onto his arm guards and tekko. “It looks like it will be a fierce battle.” He puts on his neck guard now.

“All demonic battles are fierce,” Byakuya says, putting his tekko and arm guards on before fastening his neck armour. “It’s an inevitable part of being a demon, after all.”

With their arms and legs secured, they now move onto fastening their dou cuirasses around their torsos.

Much to Renji’s pleasant surprise, Byakuya helps him out with his cuirass and shoulder armour, so he returns the favour to him as well.

“And there we go…” Renji steps back, smiling as Byakuya turns to face him.

He truly looks peerless in his armour, like the quintessential daimyo that he is: dignified, noble… and beautiful.

“You look beautiful, Byakuya,” Renji says, unable to help himself.

A faint blush stains Byakuya’s cheeks. “You flatter me,” he says. “Besides, you look quite formidable yourself, Renji.”

Now it’s Renji’s turn to blush, and he just turns to fasten his katana and tanto at his waist before picking up his helmet. “Well, we should get going,” he says, trying to compose himself.

Byakuya nods, fastening his own katana and tanto before picking up his helmet. “Yes, we should,” he says.

When they emerge from the armoury, however, they find both Rukia-sama and Hinamori waiting outside.

“Rukia…” Byakuya says quietly.

“We came to wish you both good luck,” Rukia-sama says, a tentative smile crossing her face. “I know you will do well.”

Renji bows. “Thank you,” he says.

“Thank you, Rukia,” Byakuya adds. “We will return victorious. I swear on my life.”

With that, they both leave the manor and head out to the stables, and once they’ve saddled up their horses, they ride out to the courtyard where Hisagi and all the footsoldiers are waiting for them on horseback.

Hisagi is dressed in blue armour, and has both his katana and tanto at his side. Likewise, all the foot soldiers are clad in black armour and helmets, with many of them bearing deep-blue sashimono banners emblazoned with the crest of the Kuchiki Clan in white.

“All the villagers have been brought to the castle,” Hisagi informs them. “Furthermore, the barriers have also been set up.”

“And the encampment on the overlook?” Byakuya asks.

“That has also been taken care of,” Hisagi confirms. “We’ve set up the catapults like you ordered, and we’ve gotten word that the Ginjo Clan’s army is on their way right now. In fact, their army is made up of around four-thousand men.”

The Kuchiki Clan also has four-thousand men in their army, but even so, that’s no reason to go easy upon them. Renji knows this very well.

Byakuya stands before his soldiers, getting their attention as they fall silent.

“Listen up,” he orders, his voice ringing clearly. “We are about to go into battle against our enemies. When we fight, we shall fight with honour, and show no mercy to the Ginjo Clan! Is that clear?”

The soldiers clamour in agreement.

“And if we die, we shall die with honour!” Byakuya declares.

This earns more shouts of agreement.

“Now then, let us ride out to battle!”

Byakuya snaps the reins, spurring his horse to ride ahead, and Renji and Hisagi ride alongside him on horseback, while the rest of the soldiers follow.

By now, the sun is rising further up in the sky as they continue their ride to the battlefield. Amid the thundering of hooves against the ground, Renji tries to clear his mind and prepare for battle, but even so, a part of him is undeniably nervous about going up against demons.

Most of the opponents he has encountered in past battles had been human, and while they had been quite strong, their strength is certainly nowhere near the strength of a demon.

But Renji has made a bond with Byakuya. His own dark force has increased since that night, so surely, he can hold himself in battle, right?

Before he realizes, they’ve arrived at the overlook point over the mountainous terrain that will become their battlefield. And right then, Renji senses it.

A huge, collective dark force is approaching from a distance.

“The Ginjo Clan is coming,” Byakuya confirms. “Take a look.”

Renji turns to the mountains in the distance, and his heart pounds hard against his chest at the sight.

A large army is advancing towards them from the mountains, and the dark force they radiate is crushing.

All the foot soldiers in that army are clad in black armour, and many of them bear forest-green sashimono banners emblazoned with the crest of the Ginjo Clan in white: two bamboo leaves encircled by a roundel.

And leading those forces is a tall and lean-built man with mean eyes and dressed in forest-green armour, and at his waist are his katana and tanto. There’s no doubting as to who this man is: Ginjo Kugo.

Riding beside him, also dressed in armour coloured deep-green, is Tsukishima Shukuro, looking eager to be riding into battle. Seeing such a smile causes a burning rage to simmer within Renji.

The last thing that Renji notices is that the entirety of the Ginjo Clan has shifted into their demonic forms.

As if on cue, Byakuya, Hisagi, and the rest of the Kuchiki foot soldiers shift into their own demonic forms before getting ready to charge.

“Launch the catapults!” Byakuya orders. “Once they are launched, we shall attack!”

Right then, the catapults are activated, launching multiple projectiles towards the advancing army.

As more soldiers beat the war drums, Renji lets out a battle cry before snapping his reins, charging towards the enemy along with Byakuya and the others.

Adrenaline rushes through Renji’s veins as he unsheathes his blade right as he and the enemy clash at last.

The assault is intense. None of the soldiers show any mercy on both sides, cutting each other down without any hesitation. Renji just rides towards Tsukishima, cutting down enemy samurai who get in his way and avoiding arrows and projectiles however he can.

Suddenly, a projectile hits the ground in front of him, and his horse whinnies in alarm and rears up.

“Shit!” Renji curses as he falls to the ground, his helmet slipping from his head as the terrain scratches over his face. 

He narrowly misses his horse’s hooves and quickly gets back up onto his feet as his horse gallops away.

Right then, a blast of dark force comes careening towards him, and Renji hastily leaps out of the way to avoid it.

His hair comes loose from the topknot, crimson tresses spilling over his face as he straightens up again just in time to see Tsukishima charging towards him.

Tsukishima launches another blast of dark force, but Renji is prepared.

Holding up Zabimaru, he deflects the attack successfully, knocking it away from him.

Instead of getting angry, however, Tsukishima seems amused.

“Seems like you’ve gotten strong, Abarai Renji,” he observes.

Renji ignores the cuts on his face and narrows his eyes, a surge of anger rushing through him as he recalls all the anguish he’s wreaked upon his village.

“You’ll pay for what you’ve done, Tsukishima Shukuro,” he snarls. “I’m here for revenge on behalf of my village and Unohana-san!”

“I look forward to crushing your recklessness!” Tsukishima responds with a sadistic smile.

With a battle cry, Renji raises his katana and charges towards Tsukishima.

* * *

After seeing Renji quickly recover from falling off his horse, Byakuya turns his attention back to the battle; specifically, to Ginjo Kugo himself.

Seeing the sadistic smile on Ginjo’s face sends adrenaline surging through Byakuya’s veins as he climbs off his horse, charging towards him while imbuing his blade with dark force.

Likewise, Ginjo unsheathes his own blade before charging on foot towards Byakuya with a battle cry.

Instantly, their blades clash, sparks flying from the clash of steel on steel.

Gritting his teeth, Byakuya pushes back against Ginjo, making him lose his footing for a brief moment before ducking back to avoid the swing of his blade.

Straightening up again, Byakuya glares at him.

Ginjo grins maliciously. “I like the look in your eyes, Kuchiki Byakuya!” he praises him. “Looks like you aren’t as emotionless as they say you are!”

He swings his dark-force-imbued katana upwards, but Byakuya swiftly blocks the attack with his own blade.

Narrowing his eyes in anger, he pushes Ginjo back again.

“You have some nerve, Ginjo Kugo,” he says darkly, brandishing Senbonzakura once more. “To have your own retainer prey on a village full of humans on Kuchiki Clan territory… I never would’ve thought you’d do such a thing.”

This seems to irritate Ginjo, who responds by attempting to attack again. This time, he shoots a blast of black dark force at Byakuya, who leaps out of the way to avoid it.

As Byakuya stands back up, his helmet falls off, and his hair comes undone from its topknot, spilling freely past his shoulders.

“Why?” Ginjo demands. “Why are you so determined to protect  _ humans _ of all things?! They’re nothing more than food for us, are they not?!”

“Maybe for you and other demons, but not for us!” Byakuya retorts angrily, ignoring the blood that trickles from a cut on his cheek. “Their lives are as important as the lives of demons!”

“And this is why your clan doesn’t deserve this territory!” Ginjo snarls, charging towards him. “You value humans too much, even above other demons!”

Byakuya effortlessly parries his attack. “Such arrogance will be the downfall of your clan, Ginjo Kugo,” he says coldly. “And your clan will fall today.”

Senbonzakura’s blade begins to glow white, and Byakuya swings it in an arc away from himself, scattering white-coloured petals and controlling them towards Ginjo with his blade.

The petals scatter quickly and mercilessly, cutting into Ginjo’s armour, and he barely manages to avoid most of them. By the time he escapes the onslaught of petals, his armour is damaged, the clothes beneath torn, and his face marred with cuts.

Ginjo glares at Byakuya before letting out another angry yell as he charges towards him.

The fight that ensues is absolutely vicious.

Ginjo’s attacks are vicious and brutal, and he does not let up on Byakuya at all; truly a worthy opponent. However, Byakuya counters his attacks with lithe, graceful attacks that are nevertheless made stronger with his own powers, and with the power of his bond with Renji.

It isn’t long before Ginjo takes notice of this change.

“What the hell is this?!” he demands. “Your attacks… there’s another source of strength in them! How did you get this strong?!”

Right then, he appears to catch a trail of Byakuya’s scent, and realization dawns on his face.

Then, Ginjo just regards Byakuya with a disbelieving smile.

“So… you made a bond with a human?” he asks with a laugh. “I can’t believe it! You, Kuchiki Byakuya, formed a bond with a lowly human for the sake of fighting me!”

Byakuya narrows his eyes, unamused by the taunts.

“My bond with Abarai Renji is far beyond your understanding,” he says coldly. “Someone like you, who scorns upon humans, will never be able to see or understand the beauty of such a bond.”

The smile disappears from Ginjo’s face. “Is that so?” He raises his blade, imbuing it with black shadows. “Then perhaps we should test it out and see if your bond is strong enough to protect you from this!”

“Maybe so,” Byakuya agrees, brandishing his own blade.

With that, they charge towards each other.

As Byakuya draws nearer, Ginjo swings his blade downwards, sending a huge blast of shadows in his direction.

It comes so fast that Byakuya barely has much time to avoid it. However, by some miracle, he narrowly misses the blast, jumping out of the way.

Quickly, he recovers, and then, with a swing of his blade, Byakuya scatters thousands of dark force petals towards Ginjo.

All the petals attack Ginjo at once, giving him no time to escape before they mercilessly cut into him.

Blood splatters everywhere as Ginjo’s eyes widen in stunned shock, right before he collapses to the ground, his demonic form vanishing.

Byakuya just looks down at his lifeless form before flicking his blade, ridding it of blood.

“Your clan’s tyranny is over, Ginjo Kugo,” he says quietly. “But you fought well.”

The sounds of battle all around him hit him hard, now that his own fight is over. Byakuya quickly rushes to assist his men in fighting off the rest of the Ginjo Clan soldiers, and as he fights, he prays that Renji’s confrontation with Tsukishima will be just as successful.

* * *

Tsukishima proves himself to be a vicious opponent, even more than anyone Renji has ever faced in battles of the past. Even so, Renji is still able to hold his own in the fight, fortunately enough.

As Renji blocks another attack from Tsukishima, he notices how his eyes narrow slightly.

“No human should be able to withstand my attacks,” Tsukishima says coldly. “How on earth were you able to become strong enough to fight me? Is it your loyalty to Kuchiki Byakuya that’s motivating you?”

Renji grits his teeth and pushes him back, right as realization crosses his face.

“Oh, now I see…” Tsukishima realizes, an amused smile crossing his face. “You made a bond with Kuchiki Byakuya! No wonder his scent is all over you!”

“I don’t have time for this!” Renji snarls, shooting a blast of dark force from Zabimaru’s blade at Tsukishima.

However, Tsukishima just jumps out of the way before clashing blades with Renji again.

As they parry each other’s attacks, Tsukishima’s amused expression vanishes to one of anger and confusion.

“Why…” he demands. “Why would you swear your loyalty to a demon, Abarai Renji? Especially one with issues like Kuchiki Byakuya!”

“What makes you think I’m only fighting on behalf of Kuchiki Byakuya?” Renji retorts.

He glares at Tsukishima from behind the hair that falls in front of his face, and for a moment, he wonders how much of a demon he looks right now.

“You attacked my village like a coward,” Renji says darkly. “You’ve preyed on us for years, and you tried to attack Unohana-san as well! And for that, you have to die.”

With those words, Renji holds his katana’s grip with both hands, imbuing all his dark force into the blade. “This ends here, Tsukishima!” he shouts.

“I’ll cut you down before you can blink!” Tsukishima shouts back, his blade surrounded by tendrils of his own dark force.

They charge towards each other, raising their blades.

Tsukishima tries to attack first, stabbing his blade at Renji, who swiftly avoids the attack and moves behind him.

He quickly tries to turn to block the attack, but it’s too late.

Renji slashes his blade downwards across Tsukishima’s back in a diagonal slash. The dark force in the blade helps it cut through the armour and the skin without much restraint.

Blood sprays out from the cut, splattering Renji on his face and armour.

A wry smile crosses Tsukishima’s face as he turns to look at Renji.

“N-Not bad…” he chokes out, coughing up some blood. “For a… a human…”

The life fades from his eyes as he collapses to the ground.

Renji breathes heavily, his adrenaline fading away as he looks around, noticing how the battle seems to have come to an end.

He’s not sure how much time has passed, but the sun is beginning to set now. Has that much time really passed.

“Abarai!” Right then, Byakuya rushes towards him.

Renji can’t stop himself from smiling as he takes in the sight of his daimyo with his hair flowing freely and looking roughed up from fighting.

“Milord…” he greets. “Are you alright?”

Byakuya nods. “Yes,” he says. “But what about you?”

“I’m fine,” Renji reassures with a smile. “But it’s all over now.”

“Indeed,” Byakuya agrees. “We have won at last.”

* * *

Only two months have passed since the battle against the now-fallen Ginjo Clan, but things have changed quite a bit all around them.

With no more phantom killers targeting the village, many of the villagers who had fled have slowly started to return. Life in the village is beginning to improve even more, with no more sudden deaths taking place, and the village itself is starting to change from a nearly deserted outpost to a more lively little rest-stop for travellers.

And it’s all thanks to Renji going to the Senbonzakura Castle.

Byakuya’s own life has also started to improve, ever since forming the bond with Renji. Since that time, the severity of his cravings for human blood has drastically decreased, and he no longer feels the urge to go out and hunt on the full moon.

Having wrapped up a monthly check-in with the village, Byakuya and Renji are now riding to the lookout point to watch the sunset over the mountains.

When they arrive at the point, they climb off their horses and approach the cliff for a better view.

“It’s almost hard to believe there was a battle here,” Renji says softly.

Byakuya nods. “Indeed.”

He turns to Renji, giving him a smile full of genuine happiness. “You’ve changed my whole world for the better, Renji,” he says warmly. “I am so fortunate to have met you. Thank you for agreeing to serve me.”

Renji smiles back at him, a blush crossing his face. “It’s an honour to serve you… Byakuya,” he says. “And I promise you, I will serve you until the day my life is extinguished.”

With that, he tilts Byakuya’s face up before capturing his lips in a kiss, one that Byakuya is all too happy to return.

Never before has he loved someone to this extent, and now that he has Renji at his side, he will never let him go, no matter what.

No matter what happens, he won’t give up Abarai Renji for anything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And with that, "Sakura Castle" is finished. Once more, thank you for all the support you have given me in this story! I have another story that I can't wait to get started on, so be sure to look out for it!
> 
> Please let me know how I did, and have a good one!


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